


Tear You Apart

by AnchorsOutAtSea



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: (Bryan Dechart voice) GAVIN REED IS GAY, Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Lovers, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gavin Reed is a Human Disaster™ and I'm HERE for it, Hank is such a dad, Jericrew, M/M, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn, This fic only exists to give Gavin a backstory and Connor all the love in the world, i'm a sucker for tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:53:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 115,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnchorsOutAtSea/pseuds/AnchorsOutAtSea
Summary: Innumerable things have changed since Markus led the movement asking for androids to get equal rights. One thing that absolutely has not changed is Gavin Reed's hatred towards androids, and more specifically, Connor. When Hank gets injured on the clock and it puts him out of work, pressing murders force Captain Fowler to put Gavin on the case with Connor, despite everyone's protests.
Relationships: Connor/Gavin Reed
Comments: 424
Kudos: 446





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Tear You Apart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26732440) by [good_lovegood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_lovegood/pseuds/good_lovegood)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been a DBH fan for YEARS but was currently dragged back in, and it honestly doesn’t take me much convincing when a plot bunny forms. This goes out to two friends who have been endlessly supportive of this idea, and two particular cosplayers that have dragged me back to this ship. God help me.

"Oh, you have to be fucking kidding me!" Hank shouted, his fist coming down on Captain Fowler's desk angrily.

Fowler leveled him with an unimpressed look, a single eyebrow raised in warning that Hank get himself together. "I have more people above your pay grade breathing down my neck than you do common sense, Anderson, and you got hurt _on the job_. Until you have medical clearance to return to work, you're off the case."

Hank groaned, leaning back in his chair dramatically, even for him. "It's not even that bad!" He gestured towards his broken leg, heavy with the temporary boot he had received from the doctor because he had refused a cast. "Plenty of people work with a broken leg! It's not even my whole leg. You can't take me off the case."

Fowler leaned forward, his elbows on his desk and his eyes narrowed at Hank. "I _can_ and I _am_. If you can get medical approval to come back to work and the case still isn't solved, then by all means, it's yours. Until then, you're to keep your ass at home, and keep your mouth shut about it."

Connor stood in the corner of the room quietly, observing the captain and the lieutenant. Captain Fowler had summoned them both to his office, but he had not yet spoken to Connor, and Connor felt it was better not to interject, at least not yet. Hank was angry, but his body language suggested he also knew he was defeated, and no amount of arguing was going to convince Fowler to allow him to continue working while injured. Connor agreed with this decision wholeheartedly, and had even suggested it himself, but all it had earned him was Hank angrily throwing one of Sumo's squeaky toys at him.

Hank straightened up a bit in his seat, and Connor suppressed the urge to sigh even though he didn't need to breathe. His posture always changed when he was about to try a different approach. Hank gestured over his shoulder at Connor. "But you can't leave the kid by himself on this!" He looked over his shoulder at Connor, a hint of desperation on his face, before turning back to Fowler. "I mean look at him! He's allowed to wear whatever he wants now and he's _still_ wearing the formal robocop get up. He's not ready for a case by himself!"

Sighing, Fowler closed his eyes for a moment, and Connor watched his stress level decrease slightly with the breath. When he opened his eyes again, he was glaring at Hank. "The 'kid' helped lead a movement that liberated all of android kind, and is one of the best detectives we have on the force. He would be fine on the case by himself, but he won't be, just as a precaution. Until your leg is healed, Detective Reed will be working the case with Connor."

"Reed?! Gavin fucking Reed?! You have to be out losing it, Fowler. That prick _hates_ androids! Especially Connor! Don't fucking sit there and pretend you haven't seen and heard the shit he's done and said. Are you out of your fucking mind?" Hank's stress level shot up rapidly with the new information, and Connor knew his own LED temporarily turned yellow at the news.

"This conversation is over, Hank. What's done is done. Connor is a big boy and can handle himself, and if he has any issues with Reed, he can speak with me about it." Fowler glanced up at Connor. "Isn't that right?" He asked directly.

"...yes, captain." Connor responded, choosing the option not to argue. He would rather work on the case entirely by himself than work with anyone other than Hank, but being put with Detective Reed felt like an undeserved punishment."

"Yeah?" Hank jeered, pushing his luck one last night. "And what does Reed have to say about this?"  
  
"To be frank, lieutenant, I don't give a single shit about what Reed, you, or the fucking android have to say about it. I'm running a police department, not a daycare. Did you know they're tossing around the idea of labeling this son of a bitch an actual _serial killer_ if all these murders are connected? Anyone who opposes it can feel free to hand in their badge. Now get the hell out of my office and go home. Oh, and try not to drink yourself into a coma while you heal."  
  
"Hank is four months sober." Connor found himself saying, the words slipping out before he even fully computed them. Hank had been doing so well with his sobriety that Captain Fowler's comment had metaphorically struck a nerve with him.  
  
Fowler glared at Connor for a moment before turning back to Hank. "Congratu-fucking-lations. Now you shouldn't have any issues getting to work on time. Now, go." He pointed towards the door, and while Hank cursed and muttered under his breath, he went to get up, Connor immediately came over to help him, knowing he was unsteady on his feet with the cumbersome boot. "Not you, Connor. I still need to speak with you."  
  
Hank stared daggers through Fowler before giving Connor a curt nod and hobbling out of the room, mumbling that Connor give him a call if he needed anything. As soon as he was out of the office and the door was closed behind him, Connor brought his attention to Fowler. The captain's stress levels had decreased significantly with the absence of Hank. "You would like to speak with me, captain?" Connor prompted.  
  
Captain Fowler pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Connor, trust me, I know this situation isn't ideal for anyone involved. I know that Reed is a raging asshole on his best day, but I also know that he's a damn good cop. You two are our best bet at solving this case. I don't know what stick has been up his ass about you, but I've already talked to him and gave him the same ultimatum, either you two work together or leave the force."  
  
"I understand, captain. I quite enjoy working here, and will work alongside Detective Reed if that's what it requires."  
  
Laughing bitterly, Fowler shook his head. "I would give all the money in my bank account right now to have Anderson and Reed be as agreeable as you. I know you don't want to work with him, but at least you have the decency to know when to keep your mouth shut. You should be able to find Reed at his desk. If he's not there, he's in the break room sucking down coffee like his life depends on it. I made him come in early today and he's been sulking ever since."  
  
"Thank you, Captain Fowler." Connor replied, nodding to his superior. "I can assure you that I will focus on the case, and choose not to engage with any personal issues that Detective Reed might have with me." Connor didn't allow Fowler to reply before exiting the office, and thinking about whether he should choose to go to the break room or Detective Reed's desk first. If he went to the break room and Reed wasn't already there, he could perhaps get Reed some coffee and bring it to him, hoping that the nice gesture would placate the detective long enough for them to discuss the case. Connor sighed, a trait he had quickly picked up from humans, and headed for the break room. He quickly made the coffee, realizing that he had no idea how Gavin took his coffee. Hank always took his black, but many people did not like the taste of black coffee. Connor stared at the the dark cup of coffee for a moment before deciding it was better than nothing.  
  
Captain Fowler had been correct, and while Gavin wasn't in the break room, he was at his desk. He was wearing the worn leather jacket he never seemed to be without, and his feet were kicked up on his desk while he scrolled through his phone. It took approximately 0.03 seconds for Connor to analyze his desk. Reed's desk was a lot less messy than Hank's ever was, the paper stacked in neat piles with just enough room for him to kick his boots up on the surface. There was a coffee cup (empty, not enough traces to determine exactly how Gavin liked his coffee) next to his feet, and there were exactly three white animal hairs on the surface of the desk, but before Connor could analyze the species of animal, Gavin met his eyes. The detective's stress level's immediately spiked to 86%. "Detective Reed." Connor greeted politely. "Captain Fowler had mentioned that you came into the precinct early this morning, so I opted to bring you a cup of coffee in case you were feeling tired."  
  
Gavin raised his eyebrows in surprise for a split second before neutralizing his facial expression entirely. "I don't want that shit." He snapped. "I don't know what you did to it." He dropped his feet to the floor with a thud, locking and pocketing his phone without ever removing his eyes from Connor.  
  
Connor kept his own expression neutral and placed the coffee cup on the table anyway, taking the seat next to Detective Reed's desk. "Would you like to discuss the case, detective?"  
  
Gavin ignored him to stare at the coffee cup. "At least you did your job this time, without being asked." He sneered, reminding Connor of one of their first conversations where Gavin had demanded that Connor get him a cup of coffee. "But the next time you remember your place, just know that I don't drink my coffee black. I already have to suffer working with you. I'm not going to suffer through black coffee too." Connor internally registered the unlocked information that Reed didn't like black coffee. Instead of replying, he just held Gavin's gaze. Gavin continued to stare at him him for a moment before finally breaking eye contact by blinking. "We don't need to discuss the case. I already read the files. Three human murders so far, potentially tied with two more androids being shut down or whatever. Real gruesome crime scenes. I've seen the pictures and I was at two of them, just not when your plastic ass was there."  
  
"I'm glad you're familiar with the case, detective." Connor replied, his LED swirling. "Because I'm getting the call that another body was just found."  
  
  
  
Connor had been a little surprised that Gavin had told him to join him in his personal car rather than take one of the precinct's cars. The demand had been impolite (" _Get in the car you dumbfuck, Jesus Christ._ ") and Connor had expected the entire ride to the crime scene to reflect that mood, but instead it was... awkward. Noticing awkwardness was something that Connor had taken a long time to be able to register, but now that he had, the heaviness in the air during an awkward situation was impossible to ignore. He had taken the first 6 seconds of the ride to completely analyze his surroundings in the car. There was more animal hair (belonging to a female pit bull, approximately three years of age), the radio was turned to a station that bounced back and forth between classic rock and alternative rock, and the car was incredibly clean. Connor had assumed Gavin would be messy, but between his desk and his car, he seemed to keep things well organized. It only made sense, seeing as Gavin appeared to have control issues.  
  
With those 6 seconds out of the way, the Connor was left with nothing else to do. He had tried to analyze Gavin himself, but had immediately been yelled at for staring. Instead, Connor pulled out the coin in his coat pocket and begin to fidget with it.  
  
"Why the fuck do you always do that?" Gavin suddenly growled after Connor had been playing with the coin for nearly 2 minutes. He looked over at the detective, surprised at his wordings. ' _Always do that_.' Connor wasn't aware that he had even used his coin in front of the man before.  
  
"It's a simple test to check my dexterity." Connor replied. "It's to ensure that my cognitive and physical functions are fully operational."  
  
Gavin just huffed "Fucking androids." in response. Connor glanced over to Gavin's hand on the steering wheel. It was tapping away, but not in the same way that Hank's would when he was irritated and experiencing 'road rage'. Gavin's fingers were tapping in sync with the music playing on the radio, their rhythm perfectly matching the beat.  
  
"Why do you tap your steering wheel like that?" Connor asked, tilting his head slightly and hoping to make the car ride less awkward.  
  
"Hey, leave the questions to me, asshole." Gavin snapped. "Speaking of which, why are you still wearing that dumb fucking android identifying jacket? You're the only android I've seen still wear anything that identifies you as one. Hell, half of them are ripping their LEDs out."  
  
Connor stared at Gavin for a moment, observing the hard lines of his face, the scar and slightly uneven bump on his nose, the weariness around his eyes before looking at the road stretching out in front of the car. "There are many reasons androids don't want to be identified immediately. For many it's safety. There is still a great deal of hostility towards androids from certain humans." He pointedly looked back at Gavin before returning his gaze to the road. "But for some it's because they view android uniforms as something to be ashamed of because of the memory of out enslavement. I am not afraid or ashamed, according to my friend Markus."  
  
Gavin snorted. "Yeah, like you have actual friends other than Hank."  
  
"Markus is-"  
  
"I know who he is." Gavin interrupted. "He's the plastic prick that lead the hippie movement that got you tin cans equal rights."  
  
Connor was quiet for a moment before responding "We're actually still fighting to receive equal rights. We've come a long way in these past few months since Markus led the revolution-"  
  
"Is it true that you broke into CyberLife and freed all those androids?" Gavin took his eyes off the road for a moment just to rake his eyes over Connor's face, and then return their gaze through the windshield. "How are you not dead? Or am I talking to one of your clones or whatever you guys do?"  
  
Connor smiled slightly, a feeling of pride blooming through his chest. That was a relatively new emotion. "Yes, I freed those androids. I think it was mostly a matter of analyzing the situation I was in and predicting the possible outcomes. Luck may have also had a small role."  
  
Gavin chuckled, and it seemed to surprise them both, because he immediately neutralized his facial expression, only for it to morph into something angrier, and he muttered "Then I guess I know who to blame if they replace me with a robot anytime soon."  
  
The air one again grew thick with tension, and when the car finally pulled up next to a curb and Gavin slammed it in park, Connor didn't think he had ever been so relieved to see a crime scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s a Thing™️ in this fandom that Gavin is a cat owner, but puppers deserve love too. 🥺 Not to mention, there’s going to be a cute back story for Gavin’s dog that proves he’s a total, secret softie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind this is a case fic and follows things like descriptions of crime scenes. I don't particularly plan in being over detailed with things like gore, but I also don't want the scenes to lack any description at all since the case will be affecting Gavin and Connor's relationship. 
> 
> Also, keep in mind that Gavin isn't going to change overnight. He's going to be the canon asshole from DBH in the beginning. So give him some time. Right now he still thinks he's a total hard ass and has no idea just how soft for Connor he's going to end up being.

"Just...do your job and stay out of my way." Gavin growled, unceremoniously climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind him. He weaved his way through the cops and forensics team, towards the house that the victim's body was found in. He could hear Connor following behind him.

"It would be beneficial for us to work together, detective." Connor said from behind him. "The faster we solve the case, the faster we no longer have to work together."

Gavin spun around with a scowl, fully expecting Connor to run into him, but the android was able to stop on a dime. Connor just looked at him expectantly, his facial expression neutral, but his eyes hard.That wasn't from being a robot though, that was from... _Gavin_. Gavin had been observing Connor in the months since the revolution, and from a distance had noticed the change in him. The little quirk of his lips when Hank would say something funny, the warmth in his whiskey brown eyes when someone at the precinct was kind to him. He was becoming more and more human, and yet he was standing there looking at Gavin with the same blank stare that he would get from any Ken Doll in the kids aisle of a Target.

__

__

And 'Ken Doll' was the perfect comparison, because it was honestly fucking _creepy_ how perfectly put together Connor was. Not a single hair was out of place. Well, actually there was, but even the curl that hung lower than the rest of his perfectly gelled hair was _perfectly_ styled, and Gavin really wanted to ask CyberLife why it was necessary to make their androids so convincingly human, but so unrealistically...attractive. Gavin found himself scanning the androids face, soaking in the pale, unblemished skin, the high cheekbones, and curtain of thick eyelashes that-

"Detective Reed?" Connor prompted, his head tilting slightly to the side, mimicking confusion.

"Whatever." Gavin snapped. "Just focus on the case."

"I'm not the one that appears to be distracted." Connor replied smugly.

Gavin didn't think, he just swung. He immediately regretted it too, because by the instant pain that spread through his hand, he knew he took the most damage despite blue blood now gushing from Connor's nose. Gavin shook his hand out, knowing it was going to be bruised the next day, and grabbed Connor by the lapels of his jacket, pulling him in just inches from his face. "Listen here, you plastic fuck." He threatened. "Don't think I've forgotten about the incident in the evidence room just because I haven't brought it up. I had to go to the hospital because of you. You went into evidence without permission, reactivated deviant androids for private questioning, and then when I tried to stop your ass, you knocked me unconscious. I don't know how in the fuck you still have a job. Fowler may have been able to look past all that and forgive it, but I sure as fuck haven't."

Connor barely showed any reaction to Gavin's aggression. "If I recall correctly, detective." He said cooly. "I was forced to knock you unconscious after you pulled your gun on me multiple times with the intent of pulling the trigger and killing me."

"I fucking should have." Gavin spat, finally shoving Connor away from him. His eyes were drawn to the blue blood still coming from Connor's nose. "Clean yourself up. I don't want you contaminating my crime scene."

Gavin stared at the lifeless body at his feet. The victim was young, pretty. Her pale blonde hair was stained and matted with her own blood that had pooled around her, seemingly coming from the single open wound on her chest. It was the only wound visible as far as Gavin could tell, but the amount of blood she was covered in made it difficult to tell without a closer inspection. Gavin pulled a pair of gloves on with a sigh, relieved that robocop still had not returned from cleaning his face up. Gavin shouldn't have punched him, if it got back to Fowler, or hell, even Anderson, he was in for a shit storm. But god damn did Connor just piss him right the fuck off. It was absolute bullshit that the tin can hadn't been scrapped after the fight in the evidence room, but Fowler had coldly reminded Gavin that there were cameras all over the precinct, and not a single one had made the detective look good. In fact, Fowler seemed halfway pleased that someone had finally beat Gavin's ass.

"It never gets any easier, does it?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. Tina Chen was looking over the gruesome scene, a frown on her face.

"Shouldn't you be telling reporters to stay back or something equally as boring?" Gavin teased, crouching down to get a closer look at the body. He liked Tina. She was easily the closest friend he had on the force, and she could always see right through his bullshit without even trying. 

Tina kicked his leg with no real force. making a disgusted face. "I was the first officer to respond to the scene. I handled the call in. Somebody else can handle those vultures." She was quiet for a moment before adding "Is it true? Fowler has you working with Connor on this?"

Gavin looked up and over his shoulder at her, glaring slightly. "Is that the hot gossip around the water cooler?"

"Yeah, actually it is." Tina replied, laughing a little. "Everyone knows you hate him. It's common knowledge. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Gavin Reed fucking hates androids."

"Officer Chen." Connor's voiced reached Gavin's ears as the android politely acknowledged Tina, and Gavin felt himself immediately tense.

"Heya, Connor." She replied with a smile. Fucking traitor. Chen would never admit it, but Gavin had picked up on the tell-tale signs that over the past few months. Connor was growing on her. They would probably be good friends if it weren't for Gavin. "I'll let you two work. If you need anything, I'll be around." She gave Gavin a pointed, calculated look. "Behave." She warned before sauntering off, flipping him off as she walked away.

Connor nodded before turning to Gavin. "Did you find anything of importance?"

"No." Gavin muttered. "Not everyone has your freaky Superman x-ray shit to investigate crime scenes. Some of us have to actually analyze the crime scene like real fucking detectives." Even as Gavin said it, you knew that exactly what Connor was doing, analyzing the crime scene with that fucking android brain of his. His eyes scanned over the body, unblinking and absorbing information that Gavin wouldn't even be able to process period without the help of forensics. It was a neat trick, and yeah, it was convenient as fuck, but it was just another reminder of how easily androids could replace humans, how unneeded people like Gavin would be in the near future.

"Autumn Sunders." Connor finally said. "23 years of age. Almost 24, her birthday would have been in a few days. No criminal record. This home is registered in her name and was passed down through her grandmother that died recently" Connor crouched down beside Gavin, and all Gavin could do was watch him. He was more than a little envious of how easy it was for the android to get information from a crime scene. Connor reached out to the pool of blood with his index and middle finger, dipping them in the blood.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing-" Gavin cut himself short when the weird fuck brought the fingers to his mouth, tasting the blood. "What the actual fuck!"

Connor turned to the detective, the fingers still in his mouth, his LED swirling as he processed. He finally removed his fingers to say "I had forgotten that you were unaware that one of my features is being able to process things like DNA through what would essentially be my equivalent of your taste buds."

"How do you just 'forget' to tell someone that you're going to be licking the crime scene?" Gavin snapped.

"I'm used to working with Hank." The android replied simply. "There are no toxins in her blood." He added, ignoring how Gavin was just staring at him. "Based on the blood spatter in the area, and the lack of any bruising and cuts on her forearms, it appears she was either taken off guard, or she chose not to defend herself, perhaps because she knew the perpetrator. She died... quickly."

Gavin noted how Connor sounded almost sympathetic. Almost. It's not like the robots could feel anything real, deviant or not. "Just the one wound in her chest?"

"Not quite. If you look closely.... it's actually several stab wounds in the same area. She was repetitively stabbed in the chest, approximately 34 times, with a small knife. It appears to be one large wound due to it's precision. The assailant was.... angry. They wanted her to be in pain, but she died quickly and they became angry and continued to stab her well after she died."

Gavin suppressed a shudder. "Sick fuck. What else you got, robocop?"

Connor's eyes scanned over the scene again. Gavin watched his eyebrows furrow, and the twitch of his eyelashes and wondered how CyberLife made him look so _real_. But that was just it, wasn't it? The android _was_ real. Not quite _human_ , but _real_. Connor's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "There appear to be no fingerprints left behind."

"So, we're dealing with an android killer." Gavin responded immediately, standing up and stretching. His back popped in three places and he grunted. He was getting too old for this shit.

Connor straightened up himself, shooting Gavin an annoyed look. "Just because there are no fingerprints it doesn't mean our killer is an android. It could just as easily be a human murderer who was smart enough not to leave any evidence behind."

Scoffing, Gavin took a step towards Connor. "See, the thing is, us humans aren't perfect like you androids. We make mistakes. We leave behind evidence. If the murderer was as angry as you're claiming, do you really think they had time to make sure the crime scene wasn't pointing any fingers?"

Looking down at the body, Connor looked... conflicted. "Regardless of who the murderer is, I can assure you we will find them. The same knife that was used on this woman was also the knife used on the other victims, including the android victims." He finally looked back up at Gavin. "Androids make mistakes as well. We are not perfect, Detective Reed."

"I kinda find that hard to believe." Gavin replied, taking another step forward.

"Hey, Reed, can you stop flirting long enough for me to take pictures?" The voice made Gavin jump. He turned to see one of the rookie forensics members grinning at him and waving her camera. Jamie or something. He hadn't learned her name yet. He only knew that she had recently joined the force, moving to Detroit from somewhere in the south. She had taken a major liking to him and used any excuse to drop by his desk and flirt, even though he kept brushing her off. "If you take one more step, your foot is going to be in the blood."

Gavin looked down, and she was right. The toe of his left boot was dangerously close to the pool of blood, and he stepped back. "Knock yourself out." He mumbled. "Just don't forget to upload all of the pictures to the data system as soon as you get back to the station."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "I know what my job is." She smirked at him, her eyes looking him up and down momentarily. "Hey, what are you doing later tonight? Can you believe I've been in Detroit for three weeks and no one has offered to give me the full experience yet? I thought maybe you would offer."

Laughing, Gavin shook his head. Rookie or not, she was confident, he would give her that. He glanced down at her name badge. Her name was Julia. "My experience with Detroit usually involves my couch, my dog, and a few beers, Julia. You might want to ask someone else." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Connor observing him curiously.

Julia pouted slightly, but smiled. "Okay, well then at least get the hell out of the way so I can take my pictures then."

"The crime scene is all yours." Gavin winked and gestured grandly at the body, moving out of the way and heading towards the exit. Connor followed him, of course, because he always did. "Are we done here?" He asked the android.

Connor looked around the room one last time. "I think we're done here." Gavin wasn't surprised, the murder was pretty open and shut with an android... excluding who had actually done it.

"Good. We'll go back to the station, do our paperwork, and then I'm fucking done for the day. I can't believe Fowler made me come in so early just to bitch at me..." Gavin cracked his knuckles and headed back to his car.

"Was it about us working together?" Connor asked. Gavin just glowered at him. "If it makes you feel better, Hank used to hate working with me as well. He feels... differently now." Gavin climbed in his car, slamming the door behind him, but it didn't stop Connor from talking, He climbed inside the car too, continuing his dialogue despite the fact that Gavin was clearly annoyed. "Hank had his reasons for disliking androids, but he's grown a lot as a person since I first met him. Do you have reasons for hating androids, Detective Reed?"

"Jesus fucking Christ." Gavin snapped. "Do you ever stop trying to figure people out? Not everyone likes to be analyzed, and I don't need a reason for being sick of androids. You're reason enough to not like them."

"Based on your exchange with Julia, I'm assuming you don't work well with humans either." Connor offered.

Gavin felt his fists ball up, his blunt fingernails digging into the palms of his hands. The movement made his fist sore from where he had punched Connor earlier. He was going to fucking kill Fowler. When he glanced up at Connor, there was a slight smirk on the android's lips, and Gavin almost hit him again. He _knew_ he was pissing Gavin off. This wasn't some curious, cute act. He was doing it on purpose. Gavin took a deep breath. His list of write ups at work was starting to give Anderson's a run for it's money, and breaking the precinct robot would get him fired. Fowler had already warned him. "She was trying to bait me into asking her out." He said slowly, forcing himself to actually take place in a conversation like a normal person.  
  
"You weren't interested? She's very nice. She insisted that I call her by her first name the moment we met. She also graduated at the top of her class and has had blood spatter analysis articles published before."  
  
Gavin snorted. Had he been partnered up with Chris, Chris would commented on the fact that she still had a great ass even in uniform, or that she had a gorgeous smile. Her selling points to Connor were apparently her IQ and the fact that she had been nice to him. "Yeah, well that's great and all. Good for her. But she's not exactly my type." His mind went into autopilot as he cranked the car, put it in drive, and pulled off. He got a lot of shit for still driving a car that didn't really drive itself, but he didn't understand why people wanted machines to do _everything_ for them. Besides, his car had been a classic since way before he was born. It was probably worth a fortune to some collector now. A curious thought prompted him to further the conversation. "If you're so impressed by her, why don't _you_ ask her out?" He knew androids dating was a thing now, hell, some dumbass _humans_ dated androids openly since the revolution.  
  
A small smile appeared on Connor's lips. It was barely there, barely noticeable, but Gavin picked it up when he glanced over at him and then immediately shot his eyes back at the road, catching his car drifting slightly into the other lane. "I don't believe she's my 'type' either, detective."  
  
And just what the fuck was that supposed to mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin would FOR SURE drive a muscle car from the 60's. I said what I said. 
> 
> I mentioned in the notes of the first chapter that two cosplayers helped inspire this creation and pull me back in the DBH dumpster. At the time I was on my phone and providing links would have been difficult, so I want to direct everyone to follow and support [Grayson Fin](https://www.instagram.com/grayson_fin/) (Gavin) and [Steinholic](https://www.instagram.com/steinholic/) (Connor) if you're not already. They're both absolutely amazing, and both have Patreon packages with even MORE pictures for Gavin and Connor, not to mention other incredible cosplays they do as well.
> 
> No, seriously. If you're not following them, you're missing out on more than you could ever imagine.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos! Comments would also be appreciated because this is my first time writing this ship and so I'm pretty self conscious about this fic.

The moment that Connor got to Hank's that evening, Hank was "on him" before Sumo even got the opportunity to physically jump up on him.

"Did that asshole Reed give you a hard time today?" Hank immediately demanded, so close to the door that Connor knew he had been waiting on Connor to get home.

 _Home_. Connor had never expected to have a place that he considered his home. Before the revolution, when he had completed his work, he would simply return to the CyberLife warehouse and remain there until he was needed. After the revolution he found himself spending a lot of his free time with Hank, until eventually the lieutenant had just asked Connor if he wanted to stay. Hank still had difficulty with expressing his feelings, and made a claim that it was to keep an eye on Sumo while he was either away or sleeping, but Connor hid his smirk and just accepted the offer. Hank wanted him around, and it was a nice feeling. Especially since he was positive that Hank was the _only_ human that wanted him around.

Connor didn't realize Hank was staring at him expectantly. **[[Analyzing Hank Anderson... Nervous. Irate. Worried. Internal temperature quickly rising. Subject is bracing for bad news.]]** Connor purposely decided to leave out the information of Reed punching him. "Detective Reed was no more pleased than I was to be working together, but we were able to focus on the task at hand."

Hank visibly relaxed. "Oh. Well, keep an eye on him. I don't trust that cocksucker, and if he lays a hand on you-"

"While I value your concern, Hank, I can handle Detective Reed. We need to focus on the case, not any past discrepancies." Connor interrupted, knowing it was rude, but wanting to drop the subject sooner rather than later. He did not like lying to Hank, but he did not want to cause anymore issues than necessary. Connor then kneeled down to great Sumo, who was already nosing at Connor's pants and wagging his tail. "Hello, Sumo." Connor greeted pleasantly, smiling at the dog happily. "Did you miss me?"

Hank scoffed in good nature. "It's like I'm not even here..." he mumbled, heading back to the kitchen. Connor looked after him, pleased that the distraction had worked.

The following morning, Connor awoke from rest mode at exactly 5:45 AM. It gave him enough time to start to coffee for Hank, feed and walk Sumo, and start making breakfast for Hank even though Hank always insisted that he didn't need to. Hank had not had someone care about him or attempt to take care of him in a very long time, and as much as he refused to accept it without complaining, Connor had seen the positive change in him. Connor knew he would never be able to replace Hank's deceased son, but he also knew that Hank had quickly taken the role of a father-like figure when it came to allowing Connor in his life.

Connor had finished the toast and was working on the eggs and bacon when Hank came hobbling out of his room in nothing but his boxers and an old t-shirt, his hair a mess as he rubbed his eyes. Hank woke up a lot more pleasantly now that he had stopped drinking, even if he was still grumpy. **[[Analyzing... well rested. Pleasant mood.]]** "Good morning, Hank." Connor smiled. "I've already taken Sumo for a walk and fed him." The dog immediately wagged his tail at the sound of his voice. He had been sitting next to Connor as he cooked, hoping that some food would drop. Connor would not admit that he had snuck him some bacon before Hank had entered the kitchen. "The coffee is also ready, and breakfast should be finished shortly."

Hank shook his head but didn't bother fighting the smile on his face. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to do this for me? You gave up the whole life of servitude thing when you became deviant."

Connor just smiled, plating the finished food and carrying it over to the table and placing it in front of the chair Hank always sat at. "I'm doing it willingly, Hank. I don't sleep, and can only spend so much time in rest mode with a case like this in the back of my database."

Brushing his hair out of his face, Hank poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat. Connor took the one across from him, Sumo immediately ignoring him to bother Hank now that Hank was in possession of the food. Hank snorted, biting into a piece of bacon. "Don't think I haven't noticed Sumo's new personality trait of begging since you moved in." In pointed a non-threatening finger Connor's way.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Connor said neutrally, fully knowing that Hank saw right through him.

"So, any thoughts on the case? Reed get his head out of his ass **[[idiom]]** long enough to provide any input?" Hank asked after a long gulp of coffee. He grimaced, the drink being much too hot to consume with that vigor.

"Hank... you know I shouldn't be discussing the case with you since you were taken off of it."

"Oh c'mon! I'm going to go crazy here by myself with nothing to do until this damn leg heals!"

"You won't be by yourself. Sumo is here to keep you company. I've also told you that you should be resting more for optimal healing." Connor paused for a moment. "While Detective Reed isn't exactly... pleasant, he is very serious about his job. I was planning on going into the DPD early this morning and take a look at the report that he wrote up and see if there were any differences to mine."

"Do you expect there to be?" Hank mumbled through a mouthful of eggs.

"Detective Reed is already making the assumption that the murderer is an android. I personally do not believe there is anyway to tell this early in the case. His assumption is coming mostly from the lack of fingerprints and-"

"And his bias towards androids. Fucking prick. I still can't believe Fowler would put him on the case with you knowing he's tried to put a bullet through your head not that long ago."

Connor bit his bottom lip. He was slowly but surely picking up more and more human traits, and it was fascinating. "Perhaps Captain Fowler feels like it would help get rid of Detective Reed's prejudices if he worked with an android."

Hank just scoffed bitterly. Connor had long since forgiven Reed, but he wasn't sure Hank would ever forgive him. Connor looked at it as they both had a mission they were trying to complete, and it was unfortunate that they just so happened to be in the other's way. Connor's LED swirled as he ordered a taxi to bring him to the DPD. **[[Approximate wait time: Five minutes. Taxi already in the area.]]**

"Try to get some sleep." Connor urged. He had been avoiding analyzing the break in Hank's leg because he had made it abundantly clear that he hated it. "You'll be back at work in no time." Connor smirked teasingly. "Then you can focus on retiring."

"Oh, fuck you!" Hank responded with no real heat and a smile on his face. He threw a piece of toast at Connor, and it bounced to the floor much to Sumo's delight. "I'm not that old yet. What the hell am I supposed to do with that much free time now that I gave up the sauce?"

"I downloaded some new Death Metal bands on to your computer that I think you would enjoy while you were sleeping. If you find yourself bored today, you could listen to them. I'll text you later today and see how you're doing." Connor's LED flashed, informing him that his ride arrived.

"Yeah, well it's still kinda weird that texting you is actually texting your brain and not a phone."

"You'll get used to it." Connor insisted. "My taxi is here. Have a good day, Hank." He reached out and stroked Sumo's head. "And you too, Sumo."

Even though Connor arrived at the police department early, it was still almost unnerving that it was so quiet. Or did he feel that way simply because he knew he was going to have to work with Reed again? He felt like they had made some progress the day before. Yes, Reed had punched him, but he had also _refrained_ from punching him again once they had gotten back in the car. Connor wasn't sure why he had felt the need to tease Detective Reed, knowing it made his stress levels skyrocket in the blink of an eye. He supposed it was because with teasing came a sense of camaraderie that he enjoyed with Hank, and he would much rather enjoy his time with Gavin than "suffer through it".

Connor sat down at his desk, pressing his palm to the screen. The skin receded back as he accessed the reports from the latest crime scene. Connor read a couple of others first, including Tina's and Julia's. He saved Reed's for last and found that it was...very lengthy. Connor was able to read the entire report in less than three seconds, but found himself slowly reading it as a human would. It was incredibly detailed and articulate, something that Connor was not expecting. Connor suddenly felt guilty for having any doubts about how Gavin Reed would do a report. He was young for a detective, and while he may have a... rough disposition, he took his job seriously. Connor knew that, and Captain Fowler had even reiterated that. Gavin had to be good at his job to earn the title of detective, it wasn't a title given out freely with little thought, especially at a young age.

Connor spent the rest of his free time organizing his belongings at his desk. He dusted the entire desk, including the small collection of pictures he had pinned to the cork board leaning against the desk divider. He watered a small plant that had been given to him by Tina when he was officially offered his position after the revolution. He made sure all the files on his computer were perfectly organized. He took his time, not expecting his partner to arrive perfectly on time. When he finished, it was ten minutes after seven, revealing that not only was Detective Reed not on time, but he was late. He didn't want to get Gavin in trouble, but he was mildly concerned because while the detective showed up late from time to time, it generally wasn't more than five minutes.

Connor made his way to Captain Fowler's office, knocking gently and entering when Fowler responded. "Good morning, Captain Fowler." Connor greeted. He was just met with a mumble. Connor found that most of the people he worked with were not a "morning person". "I was just curious as to whether Detective Reed may have called out this morning. His shift started twelve minutes ago."

"He's probably just late." Fowler responded, not taking his eyes off his computer screen.

"Yes, Detective Reed doesn't exactly have the best track record for clocking in on time. But I have never noticed him being more than a few minutes late."

Fowler sighed, finally glancing up at Connor from his desk. He tapped his pen against the edge of his desk a few times, thinking. "He probably hasn't slept since I assigned him to this case. That's his thing. He obsesses over a case until he has it solved. It makes him a damn good detective, but an absolute pain in the ass if he forgets to set an alarm because he keeps his calls on silent."

"Why doesn't he simply turn up his phone's volume when he's off the clock?" Connor asked.

Fowler laughed humorlessly. "Why would he? I don't exactly see people calling up Gavin Reed for a nice chat on his off time. His address is in the data base. Go check on him, I guess. If he gives you shit, tell him I sent you and that I said if he didn't want unexpected visitors he should show up for work on time."

Connor nodded in acknowledge, having already ordered a taxi before Fowler was even finished speaking. He could easily take one of the squad cars, but all his income was rather disposable, and wanted to leave them for his human coworkers.

Gavin did not live far from the department. It was a small, well kept house with an immaculate lawn, but absolutely no lawn ornaments excluding the small stone path that led up to the door. Connor raised his fist to knock on the door, but upon analyzing his surroundings, he noticed the door was unlocked. Curious, he tried the door knob, and the door opened easily. Perhaps it was because Connor was designed to be a detective, but he found it to be worrisome, and entered the home, trying not to think to hard about how angry that would probably make Detective Reed. He stepped into the home, quietly closing the door behind him. "Detective Reed?" He called out softly. There was no reply but he could hear... giggling? coming from one of the rooms down the hallway, along with some music playing faintly. Connor called out again, slightly louder, but still did not receive a reply.  
  
Instead, he heard some shuffling and looked to his right. A large, white, pitbull had entered the foyer from the kitchen, her tail stiff and her ears back as she watched him cautiously. She didn't seem aggressive, only cautious. **[[Analyzing... Female. Approximately four years old. Nervous.]]** "Hello." Connor said softly, crouching down in hopes of making himself look less intimidating. The dog visibly relaxed and began to slowly approach him. "It's okay." Connor urged. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm looking for your owner." The pitbull's tail began to wag with fervor and she bounded up to him, immediately jumping up in his arms and licking his face. She was wagging her tail so excited that she was wiggling about, and Connor couldn't help but laugh. "Nothing like Detective Reed, are you?" Connor said sweetly. She barked in response, and the music from down the hallway immediately stopped. The dog ignored the change in favor of slobbering all over Connor, but Connor's attention was immediately on the room furthest down the hallway on the right. Shuffling could be heard in place of the music, and Connor debated on drawing his gun when the door swung open to reveal Gavin in nothing but a long sleeve henley and his boxers, his gun pointed directly at Connor.

 **[[Analyzing... Alert. Stress levels at 89%. Internal temperature quickly rising.]]** "Fuck." Gavin growled upon realizing it was Connor and lowering his gun. He quickly approached Connor, his shoulders stiff and his eyebrows furrowed in anger. "What the fuck are you doing here, tin can?" He snarled.

Connor remained crouched, feeling like standing to his full height would earn him another punch in the face. "Captain Fowler sent me to check on you when you were late this morning." Detective Reed immediately glanced down at his watch and another expletive slid past his lips. "He also told me to inform you that if you didn't want unexpected visitors then you should show up to work on time." Gavin glared at Connor and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by someone else coming out of the room behind him.

"And who is _this_?" Asked a curious voice. Connor stood up, ignoring the now pitiful, whining pitbull, to look over Gavin's shoulder. A man, wearing nothing but a bedsheet haphazardly thrown across his waist had appeared, a single eyebrow raised at Connor and a smirk on his lips. He ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair. 

Gavin immediately paled before spinning around angrily. "I told you to stay in the bedroom." Reed snapped. Connor could see his hands shaking slightly, but the other man didn't seem to be afraid of the detective in the least bit. "What if this would have been someone armed breaking into my house?"

The man rolled his eyes, approaching Gavin and Connor carefully as to not trip on the bedsheet. "But clearly, it's not." He smiled at Gavin before bringing his attention to Connor. "And who might you be?"

Connor opened his mouth to begin his introduction but Gavin interrupted him. "This is my partner, Connor. And if you don't _mind_ Michael, I need to speak with him. Privately."

Michael's eyes scanned over Gavin for a moment before he rolled them again and carefully made his way back to the bedroom. Gavin avoided Connor's eyes, and allowed them to rest on his dog. "You are the worst fucking guard dog I've ever seen." He pointed to what Connor believed was the living room. "Bed, Remy. Now." Remy whined, and licked Connor's hand sadly before walking in the direction Gavin pointed, her head down and her tail between her legs. Gavin looked like he braced himself slightly before finally looking up at Connor. "How the fuck do you know where I live?"  
  
"It's in your file. In the database." Connor replied simply. Reed just closed his eyes and scrubbed his hand over his face roughly. Connor took the opportunity to observe his partner. Gavin's hair was a mess, his underwear was crooked as if he pulled them on quickly and he smelled like.... oh. So, that's what Connor had interrupted.  
  
Michael suddenly appeared, this time fully clothed excluding his shoes. "You could have at least offered me breakfast before kicking me out." He teased Reed before turning his attention back to Connor, eyeing him up and down.  
  
"Not gonna happen. Out, Michael." Gavin snapped.  
  
Michael sighed, sliding past Gavin and making sure to brushing his hand along his arm as he did so. "You know my number." He said with a wink. He approached Connor, and Connor felt uneasy for a moment before he realized that Michael's shoes were next to the door he was still standing in front of. Connor side stepped away from the door, suddenly wanting to put distance between himself and Michael. Michael kept his eyes on Connor but spoke to Gavin as his eyes landed on Connor's LED. "Maybe next time you can invite Connor over for some fun too..."  
  
Connor heard a joint in Gavin's knuckles pop as he clenched his fist. "Get. Out. Michael." He breathed angrily. Michael licked his lips before biting his bottom lip and giving Connor one last once over before opening the door and leaving, closing the door quietly behind him.  
  
Connor and Gavin stared at each other for a moment. **[[Analyzing... Stressed. Worried. Embarrassed?]]** Connor did not want Gavin to think he should be embarrassed of the situation so he stated "Your boyfriend seems nice."  
  
Gavin's jaw dropped and he continued to gape at Connor for a moment before snorting out a laugh. "Uh, yeah, Michael is definitely not my 'boyfriend', dumbass. But I guess now you know why Julia isn't really my type." His eyes darted to the ground and he nervously ran a hand over the back of his neck, his other hand still dangling at his side holding his gun. He chewed on his bottom lip before glancing nervously back at Connor. "Listen, I know I should be the last person to ask you for any favors. But...uh... not everyone knows I'm, uh, into dudes. So, can you not go around blabbing about this?"  
  
Oh. Gavin wasn't 'out'. Connor tilted his head to the side, thinking. Was it because Detective Reed was so private? Was he afraid he would be judged? "Of course, Detective Reed. I had no plans to mention this anyway."  
  
"Thanks." He muttered. He looked down at his watch again. "Time got away from me. I had no idea it was already time for work. Just... let me get some coffee and I'll drive us to the station."  
  
"Would you like me to make the coffee while you're getting ready?" Connor offered. Gavin seemed to feel like he 'owed' Connor for his silence, and it made Connor feel guilty for some reason.  
  
Gavin's facial expression softened for a moment before he sneered. "I don't need a plastic maid." he growled.  
  
"Well then, can I play with your dog in the meantime? I like dogs." Connor said, analyzing the rise in tension.  
  
Gavin smiled and shook his head. It was progress. "Sure. There's dog treats are in the kitchen. C'mon. Just... don't touch anything."  
  
Connor followed Gavin into the kitchen, shoving a bag of dog treats in Connor's hand as he made his way over to the coffee maker. He hit the button and rummaged through a cabinet, pulling out sugar and powdered creamer. He turned around, leaning against the counter and raised an eyebrow at Connor awkwardly standing by the small dinning table. "You have to call her. I sent her to bed."  
  
"Remy, right?" Connor asked.  
  
Gavin nodded but whistled instead, and the sound of four excited paws hitting the hardwood floor could immediately be heard from the living room. Connor immediately plopped down on the floor, allowing Remy to climb into his lap even though she was far too big and overweight to be a lap dog. "It was supposed to be Remington." Gavin explained. "You know, like the gun?" Remy was ignoring her owner and focus all her love and attention on Connor. "And she was supposed to be a male. She was a rescue. When I was told that someone had a pitbull that they rescued from a dog fighting ring, I was expecting this badass male dog that was going to make the perfect guard dog. But she wasn't a fighter, she was used as bait." As he said it, Connor noticed a few faint scars on the dog's face and chest, and he frowned. "I think they only used her maybe once or twice before the ring was busted. Or maybe they only used her to train young dogs, because her scars aren't too bad. But the organization said I could decline the adoption if I was more interested in a male but..." Connor looked up from Remy. Gavin was watching Remy wiggle in his lap with a smile. "She's sweet. A god awful guard dog, as you probably realized. But I couldn't just leave her there."  
  
"That was very kind of you, Detective Reed." Connor said softly, having conflicting emotions about seeing a softer side of Gavin.  
  
Gavin dropped his smile at the compliment. "Yeah, well, whatever. Don't get used to it, asshole." Connor hid his smile in the scruff of Remy's neck and gave her a treat. "She likes you. Granted, she hasn't met many people. But she definitely likes you more than Micheal. I wonder if she knows you're an android."  
  
Remy had finally calmed down some, and instead of wiggling around in Connor's lap, she was sprawled out across it, her tail steadily wagging. Connor stroked her head and choose his words carefully. "If Michael isn't your boyfriend is he...a friend with benefits?" Connor had attempted to predict a few outcomes that would result from this question, but none of them had been correct because Reed started laughing.  
  
"Jesus fucking Christ. What do you know about friends with benefits?" Gavin responded when he finally stopped laughing.  
  
Connor narrowed his eyes at Gavin. "Androids are aware of sex, Detective Reed. You know that. You were also at the Eden Club crime scene."  
  
"Yeah, but those androids were... _made_ for sex. I thought you were supposed to be the perfect robocop." Gavin's coffee was finished. Connor noted that he put in a very small amount of creamer, and six packs of sugar. Way, way too much sugar.  
  
"I was designed to flawlessly fit in with humans. Many humans engage in sexual intercourse. Most newer androids are equipped for sex. I am one of those androids."  
  
Gavin's grip on his coffee cup must have slipped because he nearly dropped it, and righted it in just enough time to avoid spilling any. He cleared his throat. "Right. Well, uh, let me grab my jacket. And some, um, pants. And we'll head to the station."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who have left comments. <3 I don't want to seem like I'm fishing for comments, but they are the extra push needed when someone is feeling self conscious about their writing.

The music in his car was too loud, and Gavin knew it, but he was hoping that maybe it would help drowned out some of the noise in his own head. Did Connor _really_ feel like it was necessary to tell him that he was fully equipped with everything needed to have sex? How did that even work? Could androids come? Or were they basically just fancy sex dolls if they had the right set up? He scrubbed a hand over his face, refusing to look over at his passenger seat. Connor was staring out the window quietly, not even paying Gavin or the music any mind, and for some reason it irked the fuck out of Gavin's nerves. Who the fuck just drops information about things like a working dick and then acts like the topic never even happened? An asshole android, that's who. The only thing it had done was raise a ton of questions that there was no way in hell that Gavin would actually ask. And then the asshole had to go and charm Remy, his sweet angel of a dog, when she was more than a little skittish around nearly everyone she met. She generally avoided Michael like the plague, which was understandable. Gavin did too, unless he just needed to get laid.

Gavin turned down the music, because his own thoughts were making the ride unbearable awkward, and due to an accident, they were stuck in barely creeping traffic. He kept his eyes on the road but cleared his throat and asked "Is it weird for you? Being a robot?" He inwardly cringed at the wording. 'Robot' was a slur and he knew it, and he wanted to punch himself for intentionally being a prick. Connor had never done anything to him, other than kick his ass, and he _was_ trying to kill him at the time. Connor turned to look at him, a slight tilt to his head. Gavin could see the whole thing and his peripheral, and he gripped the steering wheel tighter because for some reason everything about the android made his blood pressure shoot up.

"What do you mean?" Connor finally asked.

Sighing, Gavin clarified. "You're so different than real people. You don't have to do any of the things we need to do to stay in good health or survive. Is that weird for you? You don't have to eat, or sleep, or any of that. You don't even have to shower, right? Can you even get wet?" He finally glanced over at Connor, and the fucking dick was smiling at him.

"You didn't shower this morning." Connor replied matter-of-factly, the smile growing into a smirk.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean? That I smell bad?" Gavin growled, suddenly a little self conscious. He definitely should've showered before leaving for work, but he also didn't want to get buck ass naked after having a conversation with robocop about sex. When Connor didn't reply, he turned to look at him, and the Ken Doll's nostrils were actually flaring. Was he _smelling_ him? What the actual _fuck_. The car suddenly felt hot, and Gavin wasn't sure why, because his face was _not_ heating up because he did _not_ blush. He wasn't some school girl.

"No, you don't smell bad." Connor finally said. "Mostly like coffee. That you put entirely too much sugar in. That's unhealthy for you." Gavin shot him a glare and opened his mouth to argue, but Connor kept talking, "There are still some lingering traces of body wash, shampoo, and cologne from when you last showered. Among... other things." Jesus Christ. Was he trying to say that Gavin still smelled like _sex_? He should've just drove his car straight into oncoming traffic earlier. "I don't know if it's 'weird' for me to be an android. I have nothing else to compare it to. I was brought to consciousness as an android and it's all I've ever been, all I'll ever be. But I can do many of the things humans can do." Gavin bit his lip to actively _not_ think the thought 'Like have sex.' "I can ingest some liquids before it becomes an issue for my system. There have been some recently designed 'drinks' created for androids. They're mostly made up of thirium with added ingredients. Markus and a few others have even been working on producing an alcoholic beverage for android consumption, along with something that would be similar to food for humans. I think the alcoholic beverage just came out last week. And yes, as long as the water is not too hot or cold so that it would damage me, I can get wet."

It took a lot of self control for Gavin not to slam his head into the steering wheel. Was it _really_ necessary for him to word it like that? The fucker just _had_ to go and show up at his house _before_ he got off, and now he was in this weird, sexually frustrated limbo and stuck with an asshole that was made to look like a model. "Alcohol for andriods, huh?" He said, steering the conversation in a different direction. "I can't imagine you drunk. Maybe it would finally get the stick out of your ass." Traffic started moving again and Gavin thanked any god that would listen.  
  
  
  
Once they arrived at the station, Gavin hopped out of the car and muttered something about more coffee, hoping that Connor wouldn't follow him to the break room. It was a small miracle when Connor headed straight for his desk and Gavin was able to make a beeline for the break room, running into to Tina who was doing the same. "Do I need to get my eyes checked, or did you just walk in with Connor and it _didn't_ look like you wanted to kill him?" She asked, playfully shoving him out of the way to get to the Keurig first.  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes. "Oh, fuck off. Fowler sent him to my house when I was late."  
  
Tina poured her coffee and turned to raise an eyebrow at him, leaning her hip against the counter so she would be in his way. She knew all too well he would want out of this conversation, but wasn't about to leave without coffee. "Why were you so late?"  
  
He fixed her with a bored look. "I didn't get any sleep last night. I was going over the case. Then... Micheal called." Tina was probably the only person alive that knew Gavin was gay. He was pretty sure Chris had his suspicions and was just waiting for him to say something, but with Tina it was different. Tina was the closest thing to a friend that Gavin had, and they had discussed Michael far too often for Gavin's liking, because Tina loved to get him to gossip.  
  
Tina gave him a disgusted look. "Seriously, Gavin? I thought you were done with Michael. You _hate_ him."  
  
"I don't _hate_ him." Gavin protested, pushing her to the side gently to make his own coffee. "He's just... fucking annoying. Most people are."  
  
"Okay, so maybe hate isn't the right word. But the only time you can stand to be around him is if you're sticking your dick in him. Real healthy, Reed."  
  
Gavin poured twice the sugar he normally did in his coffee, just to secretly spite Connor. "And when have I ever done anything healthy?" He replied with a smirk.  
  
Tina slapped his shoulder. "I'm serious! Why don't you try to ask Michael out on a date or something instead of just using him as a booty call?"  
  
Gavin faked choking. "I would rather stick my dick in a meat grinder, that's why."  
  
"See? This is what I mean. You can't stand Michael, and even though he says he's fine with the random late night hook ups, one day, that might change for one of you. Why don't you actually try to find someone who would make you happy?"  
  
Gavin scoffed. "People don't bring you happiness, Tina. Coffee does."  
  
The stormy look on Tina's face would be scary for anyone other than Gavin. "You know, when you're not being an asshole, you deserve good things. And while that might be rare, it's by your own doing. Look at how you treat Connor. He's one of the sweetest people I've ever met, and for the longest time I thought he was this giant douchebag because of how you talked about him." Gavin opened his mouth but Tina wasn't having any arguments. "And don't give me any of that 'he's not a person, he's an android' bullshit. I know you have your reasons for not liking androids. You're probably one of the only people that doesn't like them and _has_ some sort of reasoning behind it. But by doing this tough guy act all the time, you're only hurting yourself.  
  
"I'm _fine_. I have a job that I love and..." Gavin paused. Other than Remy, what else did he really have going for him? "And I'm perfectly fine with the way my life is." It wasn't necessarily a lie. His life wasn't awful, a lot of the same shit, different day, but he didn't mind it. He always threw himself head first in his work, which didn't exactly give him time to be bored.  
  
Tina gave him an exhausted look, but knew the conversation wasn't going anywhere. "Any breaks on the case?" She asked.  
  
"Not really." Gavin growled. He hadn't been on the case long and it was already pissing him off. He was just relieved that the day hadn't started with a new victim. "The first victim's fiance is back in town, so I guess Connor and I are going to interview her today when she comes in."  
  
"How's it going, working with the department's android hunk?" Tina asked with a smirk.  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes. "He's so goddamn annoying. Did you know he tastes blood at crime scenes to analyze it? What kind of Red Ice was CyberLife smoking when they made his dumbass?"  
  
Tina laughed, and it made Gavin smile. "It could be worse. Imagine if Connor would have gotten damaged instead of Hank getting hurt. You could be stuck with Hank." She laughed again when Gavin shuddered theatrically. "I have to get back to work. Good luck with the interview." She winked at him playfully and walked off, leaving Gavin to shake his head. If Tina was already berating him about his (lack of) love life first thing in the morning, it was going to be a long day.  
  
  
  
"Detective Reed, Cecelia is here to be interviewed." Connor's voice made Gavin look up from his computer. He was exhausted and had probably read the same line in the file he was going over for the last ten minutes. The first case was just like all the others. A violent stabbing with no fingerprints or evidence left at the crime scene. They were grasping at straws, and Gavin couldn't imagine the interview actually helping. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and drained the last of his coffee. "Right." He muttered, standing up slowly. He needed to start getting more sleep. He was too old for this shit.  
  
He and Connor made their way to the interrogation room in silence. He could see Connor observing him in his peripheral vision, but chose to ignore it. It didn't matter how many times he snapped at Connor about staring at him, he still did it. He might as well get used to it. "What's her name again? The woman we're interrogating?"  
  
Connor's LED swirled for a moment. "Cecelia."  
  
"No last name?" Gavin quirked an eyebrow.  
  
"They were just engaged, but she had already taken her fiance's last name. So, Cecelia Redding."  
  
"Hmm." Gavin pondered. It was a bit weird that she had already changed her last name, but weirder things had happened, and he could always have Ken Doll wrack his computer brain for her maiden name if he felt like it affected the case at all.  
  
Cecelia was sitting in the interrogation room, nervously twisting a tissue in her hands than lied in her lap. She was staring down at her hands, her expression distant and sad. Gavin really hoped that she didn't start crying, he wasn't good at dealing with waterworks.  
  
"Cecelia Redding?" Gavin prompted at his entered the room, Connor following behind him. "I'm Detective Reed, and this is my partner, Connor. We have a few questions pertaining to your fiance."  
  
"O-okay." She sniffed.  
  
Gavin internally sighed. She definitely seemed like the type to cry. "I was told that you just got back from out of town for a business trip. When did you leave?"  
  
"About a week ago. On the 16th. I tried to get back sooner- as soon as I heard. But I was in Alaska, the weather was bad. There weren't any planes going in or out." Cecelia's eyes started to well up with tears, but Gavin ignored it, because if she was telling the truth, it immediately ruled her out as a subject based on the time of death of the victim.  
  
Gavin crossed his arms across his chest, and Connor eyed him. He knew it was an intimidating stance, but the sooner they wrapped this up, the less likely he was going to have to deal with tears. "Was there anyone who would have wanted to hurt...?"  
  
"Stephen." Connor supplied for him.  
  
Cecelia twisted the tissue in her hands. "N-no. Not that I can think of. Stephen was well liked. He...he had a lot of friends. All his employees liked him and always talked about what a great boss he was..." Tears were officially streaming, and Gavin wanted to slam his head against the table. "Who could have done this?" Cecelia asked tearfully, he eyes bouncing back and forth between Gavin and Connor.  
  
"That's what we're here to find out, ma'am." Connor said, smiling encouragingly. Gavin had to force himself not to roll his eyes. "Was Stephen acting odd before you left for Alaska? Or while he was there?"  
  
"Not at all." Cecelia responded without hesitation. "He was still calling me everyday. When I didn't hear from him, I called and he didn't pick up. I just thought maybe he was busy with work. It was a few hours later when they contacted me to tell me... to tell me..." She buried her head in her hands and began to sob.  
  
"There has to be something you can tell us." Gavin said, uncrossing his arms to place them on the table, leaning against it.  
  
Connor glared at him and tried a different approach. "Is there anything you can think of that might help us, Ms. Redding? Anything at all? Some texts that seemed off? Perhaps an edge to his voice the last time you spoke with him?"  
  
"I can't think of anything." Cecelia responded sincerely, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "The last time we talked he just talked about how our cat was doing, and how he missed me. He brought up our wedding and how even his uncle was going to fly in to be there." She looked at Connor sadly. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to say."  
  
"That's perfectly fine, Ms. Redding." Connor replied softly. "You're free to go."  
  
"Wait-" Gavin interjected.  
  
"She has no more information, Detective Reed." Connor said sternly.  
  
"We don't know that-"  
  
"I do." Connor snapped at Gavin before turning back to Cecelia. He handed Cecelia his card (Jesus fucking Christ, an android with a business card) and walked over to the door, holding it open for her. She glanced nervously at Gavin before standing up and scurrying past him quickly. Connor let the door shut and turned back to Gavin.  
  
"What the fuck was that?" Gavin demanded.  
  
"We were done, Detective Reed. She was done. There was nothing else that she could have told us that would have helped with the case."  
  
"And how in the hell do you know that? She could have been lying. We haven't even checked her story-"  
  
"She wasn't lying. You prying would have only upset her further, and there was no need for that." Connor interrupted.  
  
Gavin marched up to Connor, with his shoulders back angrily. A nerve ticked in his jaw from how hard he was clinching it. "I don't know how you do things with Anderson, but you're not going to just make assumptions while you're partnered with me, android." Gavin snarled. Connor looked almost bored, which only pissed Gavin off further.  
  
"I wasn't making an assumption. Her story correlated with her plane tickets, which I was easily able to pull up in the time that she was talking. She also saw my LED. She knows I could have probed her memories if need be. She was being honest, and she just lost her fiance. Continuing to interrogate her would have been cruel."  
  
Gavin gaped at him. "Since when can androids probe human minds?" he asked angrily.  
  
Connor stared at him for a moment. "She was an android, Detective Reed. Not a human."  
  
Gavin stared back in confusion, his fists clenching and unclenching at his side. "But she was crying. Androids can't cry..." He really wished his voice didn't sound so uncertain.  
  
Connor smirked. "They actually can. It seems there's a lot you don't know about androids yet. I guess it's a good thing you're partnered with one." Connor opened the interrogation room door and walked away without saying another word, leaving Gavin to gawk after him.  
  
  
  
  
"She was _crying_ , Tina." Gavin slurred, brandishing his beer bottle at her from across the bar table. "Crying! Can you believe that? It's gon' get to the fuckin' point where you can't tell humans from robots at all!"  
  
"Annnnd you're done." Tina replied, taking the beer from him and finishing it off before sitting the empty bottle back in front of him. "What's gotten into you? You never get drunk."  
  
Gavin snorted. "I drink all the time."  
  
"Yeah, you do. But you get all tipsy and giggly and then call it a night. You're _slurring_ , drunk ass." Tina said, her voice accusatory.  
  
Gavin swallowed hard, staring at his empty beer bottle. "I'm just stressing 'bout this case." It wasn't a total lie. Any case involving murder that wasn't an open and close case stressed him out. But working with Connor also stressed him out. Finding out that androids were actually emotional enough to _cry_ didn't help. Had they always had feelings or was it a new update? Did they actually update like phones? Was it emotional pain they felt or could they feel physical pain now too? Had it actually hurt Connor when he punched him? Gavin shook his head. "And I'm not like... drunk-drunk. I haven't been drunk in years. The case is just getting to me, okay?"  
  
Tina smiled at him sadly. "Oh, Gavin. You'll figure it out. Don't forget Connor is there to help you... if you'll let him. I promise you he's not that bad."  
  
Grimacing, Gavin replied. "Why are you always defending him?"  
  
Tina raised an eyebrow. "Why are you always riding his ass?"  
  
Gavin dropped his eyes and began to play with the label on his empty beer bottle. "There's gotta be a better way for you to word that."  
  
Tina laugh. "Oh god! _That's_ why you're being such a baby! You think he's hot!"  
  
Gavin's eyes shot up to look at her with a murderous glare. "Oh fuck right off, Chen. He's an _android_. That's like saying my laptop is hot."  
  
"Will you get over the prejudice and stop looking at him like he's a machine? Because he's not. I don't see why we have to have this conversation every single time he's brought up. It's okay if you think he's attractive. He has great hair. Great cheekbones too."  
  
"I don't think he's attractive, okay? He's just a prick, so it's hard for me not to get irritated when you defend him." Gavin snapped.  
  
"Is it that he's a prick, or is it that you're not used to someone who can dish it out as well as take it? Most people just get pissed at your bullshit and are ready to swing on you. Connor is too smart to take that bait and can talk shit right back to you." Tina said with a smirk. Gavin just continued to pick at the beer label. Tina sighed. "Why don't you invite him out with us one night? You know, get to know him outside of a work setting. Chris and I will be your buffer so things aren't weird. I think this place just started carrying android drinks."  
  
"Tina that's a terrrrible idea." Gavin whined.  
  
"Why? Because you're afraid he might not be that bad? You scared, Reed?"  
  
"No, I'm not _scared_ , don't be ridiculous-"  
  
"It's settled then." Tina interrupted, grinning ear to ear. "On Friday night. It's a date."  
  
Gavin really hated how she winked when she said 'date'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is secretly a dramatic bitch. And I love it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, "date night" will not be happening in this chapter, because something else needs to happen first. (Including introducing Markus to the fic)

When Connor returned home from work after his shift had ended, he found Hank passed out on the couch, his broken and booted leg propped up on a cushion and the other dangling off the side of the couch. **[[Analyzing... sleeping.]]** Connor relaxed. There had been a moment of panic where he was concerned that maybe Hank had resorted to drinking again in his boredom, but apparently he had just fallen asleep while watching an old rerun of a game show on television. Sumo was sleeping next to him on the floor by the couch, which explained why he hadn't immediately ran to the door to meet Connor like he normally did. Connor quietly entered the living room, gently working the remote out of Hank's hand to turn off the television. The soft thumping against the floor alerted Connor that Sumo had waken up, and Connor gently patted him with one hand while using his free hand to hold his finger to his lips, warning the dog to be quiet. Sumo licked his hand and then put his head back down, closing his eyes once again. Connor smiled. He was convinced that Sumo understood a lot more than Hank thought he did.

After tidying up a bit (Hank had been eating junk food while Connor wasn't home, and he wasn't surprised), Connor quietly sat down on the recliner to "relax", as Hank called it, wincing when the old leather groaned in response to his added weight. Hank stirred, but continued to sleep. Connor knew that Hank would ask him about how the case was going, and Connor wasn't sure what to tell him. Cecelia had really been no help at all, though it wasn't her fault, and probably better for her mental and emotional well-being that she had no information to offer. Connor also felt like he needed to tell Hank that Markus had suggested Connor come visit him tonight, and that Tina Chen had invited him out with some others from the DPD for the following night. Connor had never had someone extend an invitation to "hangout" other than Hank, and he already felt awkward and out of place just thinking about it. He supposed he and Markus would "hangout" on occasion, but it was different with a fellow android. They were often discussing topics about how things were going since the revolution. Their friendship didn't often consist of being in each other's presence just for the sake of doing so. Despite that, Connor very much enjoyed the time he spent with the androids from Jericho that Markus had affectionately branded as the "Jericrew". Humans were a lot more accepted and pleasant than they had been in the months prior to the revolution, but there was still a certain feeling that Connor couldn't quite place when he was around his fellow deviants.

"Don't think I've ever seen you space out like that." Hank grunted through a yawn, stretching on the couch and interrupted Connor's thoughts. "Is that your sleep mode or whatever?"

"Hello, Hank. No, I was just thinking. Have you decided would like for dinner tonight?" Connor responded.

Hank laughed. "I would _like_ for you to let me just order a burger from a food cart or some greasy take out for once."

"I can actually arrange that for tonight." Connor replied with a smile.

Hank looked at him with faked awe. "And you won't even complain or lecture me? Not even once?"

Connor rolled his eyes, only because he knew it annoyed Hank more than anything. Hank usually called him a brat a muttered under his breath about punching whoever taught him to do so. "I have plans tonight. I'm visiting Markus. I think I can let you slide for one afternoon at the sake of convenience for the both of us."

Sitting up with a smile on his face, Hank stretched again. "Plans, huh? Good. You need to get out sometimes and stop spending all your time either at work or taking care of me."

Connor tapped his fingers against his knees for a moment, thinking. "Then I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear I have plans tomorrow night as well. I was invited out with some of our coworkers."

"No shit?" Hank's face lit up. "That's great, son. What's the plan? Who are you going out with?"

Connor knew that the questions would feel invasive coming from anyone else, but with a quick analysis he was able to tell that Hank wasn't suspicious, he was sincerely delighted at the prospect of Connor getting along with their coworkers, even if he didn't particularly get along with most of them himself. "Tina asked me if I would like to go to a bar with her, Chris, and Detective Reed." Connor frowned at his own wording. He felt like his relationship with Chris and Tina was pleasant enough to refer to them by their first names, but he wasn't sure if he would ever reach that point with Detective Gavin Reed.

"Oh, fuck. Reed is going to be there too? Did Fowler set this up?" Hank grumbled.

"I believe it was all Tina's doing, though I don't understand how she managed to convince Detective Reed to be there. Perhaps he doesn't know I'll be there."

Hank snorted. "Yeah, well don't let him be a prick, okay? Just because you're partnered with him doesn't mean you have to take shit from him, especially if you're not clocked into work. What are you going to do at a bar? Analyze the exact contents of everyone's drinks?"

"Actually, Markus and the Jericrew have created an alcoholic beverage for androids. If the bar we're going to has a supply, I was thinking about giving them a try."

"Jericrew." Hank repeated fondly. "That's cute." He pointed a finger at Connor. "Don't you dare tell anyone I ever said that. Anyway, just be careful. Anyone's first time drinking can go downhill pretty fast. Don't make me have to show up and hassle Chen because you can't hold your liquor."

Connor smiled and assured Hank. "I'll be careful. I've received a message from Markus and will be leaving soon. I've ordered your favorite burger from your favorite street food cart for delivery and it should be here shortly."

Hank stood up and hobbled over to Connor, running his fingers throughout Connor's hair roughly to mess it up teasingly. "You really spoil me, Con. Get the hell outta here and go see your friends."

The taxi brought Connor up to the gates of the newly refounded Jericho building, and Connor unceremoniously leaned over the taxi driver (there were no self-ran taxis in the area, and the driver had not been pleased to see Connor take the front seat) to allow the security scanner to scan his LED so that the gate would open. It could also scan his eyes, but the LED took less time. Markus had taken no shortcuts when it came to security, especially since he knew firsthand that androids could use eyes that were not designed for them as long as they were compatible. Connor was also relieved to see that there were no protesters outside the gate since it was so late in the evening, the setting sun casting dark shadows against the warehouse.

After the revolution, Markus had met with the president of the United States. There had been some understandable questions that the US government had had after an uprising, but Markus had ensured the president that he had no interest in politics, he only wanted to work towards bettering the lives of androids. They had offered him a position in Washington DC, but he wanted to remain in Detroit and and informed them that when the time came for androids to get more political, he would offer them someone capable and trustworthy. When the President had suggested that Markus was already involved in politics, he reminded her that basic rights weren't political, they were essential. The story still made Connor smile. Markus may have never intended on being a leader, but he had become and incredible one.

The abandoned warehouse that was now known as Jericho has at one time been refashioned into apartments, but continuous rent costs rising had pushed all it's tenants out. The building had been uninhabited for years and was owned by the mayor, who had no problem handing it over to Markus as a sort of headquarters for him to work out of. It was more out of fear of androids than willingness to help, but Markus accepted it all the same. A lot of work had been done to it since then, and as the Taxi pulled up to the entrance, Connor noticed that more work had been done since he had last visited. Josh was waiting at the entrance to greet him, and Connor awkwardly waved at him from the taxi upon seeing him. Connor paid the taxi driver generously and thanked him.

The driver looked shocked. "I guess I'm still not used to seeing androids get paid." he grunted in response to Connor's quizzical look. Connor just nodded and opened the car door. "You're not all bad, kid. Don't let the assholes get to you." He added as Connor exited the car. Connor smiled and waved to him, and the driver tipped his cap as he pulled away.

"Connor!" Josh exclaimed, pulling him in for a hug. It took a moment to register, and Connor was hugging him back. Affection was new. Hank had hugged him a handful of times, but wasn't the most physically affectionate person, and touch was something Connor was still getting used to.

"It's good to see you, Josh." Connor smiled.

"It's good to see you too, man." Josh replied. He glanced over the Jericho building. "Can you believe how much work we've gotten done since you were last here? Simon is really working his ass off. He can't wait to see you. He has something he wants to run by you."

"Of course." Connor was pleased that Markus respected and trusted his opinion despite how their initial meeting had gone.

Connor and Josh took the elevator to the top floor. Connor had heard North refer to it as Markus' "lair". The whole top floor was his, few were allowed in and out, and it had the most security of any other area in the building. It included a lab were Markus consulted other androids, and even ex CyberLife employees on designing and creating new androids, as well as things that would benefit androids already living. It's where Markus spent most of his time. pouring all of his energy and time into bettering androids. It was almost as though he had managed to compact all of CyberLife into the single floor of an abandoned building.

"How's Hank?" Josh asked pleasantly as the elevator made it's way up.

Connor sighed. "He broke his leg recently at work, but he's been taking it easy since and he's healing. I think it was the only thing that could have slowed him down."

"That's unfortunate. How's work? Are they giving you fair pay? Because if not, Markus-"

"They're paying me adequately, Josh. Thank you for the concern." Connor said with a smile.

Josh shrugged sheepishly and added "Good. Good. Anything on the android deaths?"

"The DPD and I are working on it to the best of our ability. The killer is very good at covering their tracks"

"Both of the android victims were donors." Josh muttered quietly. "We received the remaining parts earlier today. I'm just so glad Markus does what he does. The thought of their bodies just been thrown in a pile in a dump like the way things used to be..." Josh shuttered. "It's like something out of a horror movie. At least they can help other know." Connor nodded solemnly and the elevator pinged, announcing their arrival. As the door were opening, Josh said "I'll leave you to it." He patted Connor on the shoulder. "But really, it was good to see you, Con. Good luck on the case. You know we're all here if you need anything."

"Thank you Josh. It means a lot. Take care." Connor exited the elevator and made his way down a well lit hall whose walls were decorated with paintings. Connor knew they were all done by Markus, and he was glad that Markus had picked up painting again and wasn't solely focused on work. He smiled to himself. Maybe that was why Hank was always encouraging him to 'get a life'. Connor opened the door to Markus' office. Markus was sitting at a desk on a computer, and Simon was leaned over his shoulder, their faces close as they both laughed at something on the screen. They both turned at the sound of the door, their faces lighting up at seeing Connor. Markus stood up, and just like Josh, they both pulled him in for a hug as they expressed how glad they were to see them. Connor could feel the thirium pumping through him, and he realized he was feeling content. It felt good to be wanted.

"I'm going to go find Josh, but I'm glad you came, Connor." Simon said happily. "Don't be such a stranger. You've been gone for far too long. We've missed you." He playfully shoved Connor gently and left the room, leaving Markus and Connor alone.

"He's right, you know." Markus said, looking after Simon fondly before turning to Connor. "I know you weren't part of the original Jericrew, but you're still family. You're gone for such long periods that every time you're here it feels like something huge has changed." He gestured for Connor to take a seat next to the computer, and Connor did so.

"My apologies, Markus."

"There's no need to apologize. You have an important job, and family outside of us too. We just worry about you. We're all here, safe and sound within the walls of Jericho and your job is dangerous." Markus took a seat the desk. "If you can't be here, just check in more." Markus added with a wink.

"Speaking of checking in, how are Alice and Kara?" Connor replied.

"Still in Canada. They love it there. The last time Kara called I could hear Alice in the background trying to explain to me that she saw the world's biggest moose." Markus laughed, and his face fell a little as he added "North is there visiting them right now."

"I was wondering where she was. How are the two of you?"

Simon sighed, a bittersweet smile on his face. "North and I aren't together anymore." Connor felt his facial expression sadden, but Markus just shook his head. "Don't worry. It was a while back, and things ended on good terms. She's still family. She still means the world to all of us. We just weren't... compatible." He licked his lips, thinking for moment. "Simon and I have started seeing each other. By North's doing, actually. She decided to play matchmaker and it just so happened to work."

"You and Simon did always seem to see eye to eye on everything." Connor offered, his tone light and warm. He was glad none of his friends were hurting, and something good had come of the breakup.

Markus swiveled to face the computer and picked up a stress ball in the shape of a thirium pump, tossing it up and down in the air a few times. "That's exactly what North said." He tossed the stress ball at Connor and Connor caught it. "What about you? Any changes to your personal life?"

"Hank broke his leg. Oh, and I met a new dog."

Markus laughed. "Not what I was expecting, but I'll take it. So, the reason I called you here today is because I've designed a new upgrade for androids. Simon, Josh, North, and I are the only ones who have installed it. I wanted to start out with trusted androids first, make sure there weren't any glitches, or negative side effects to the installation. I was wondering if you were interested in getting the upgrade."

"What's the upgrade for?" Connor questioned.

Markus bit his lip, thinking about his wording. "Imagine it as an expansion pack for emotions. You know those times that you have an emotion, and you can't quite place it? It'll help you with that. It expands the range of emotions, and you'll be able to feel them more intensely. It was hit and miss there for awhile. Before the patch I created, Simon literally burst into tears because he was so happy that one of our house plants bloomed." Markus laughed. "Needless to say, I had to dial it down a bit. But we worked out the kinks. Oh, and it also expanded on physical feeling too. With that one I'm going to give you the ability to turn it on and off though. You'll be able to tell when things are hot or cold. Pleasure and pain will be more intense. But obviously, with your job, it would benefit you to be able to turn that off because you're more likely to get hurt. All you have to do is deactivate the sensitivity whenever you feel like you should. You'll also be able to actually taste things now too. You can switch back and forth between your taste feature and your DNA analysis. Are you interested? There's no pressure. The offer is just there."

Connor straightened his tie, thinking about it. Had Markus not created the option to turn the pain sensors on and off at will, it would have been an immediate no because it would effect his capability at his job. But with the issues worked out, and all of the features, it was compelling to say the least. Connor was incredibly interested in being able to experience a wider range of emotions and actually be able to understand what they were instead of just figuring it out on his own, not knowing exactly what to call it because he hadn't experienced it before. "I'll do it." He finally supplied confidently.

"Great!" Markus replied, rubbing his hands together. "Now, once the download is complete and you get home, you will have to go into sleep mode for several hours, but once that's done you'll be able to function normally. Are you sure? Once we start the process, it'll put you in a temporary sleep mode until the download is complete."

"I'm sure. I trust you, Markus."

"Atta boy." Markus said with a wink. "I can always trust you to jump into all my ideas." Markus stood up and began to hook wires and cords to his computer and then attach them to Connor. "Just relax, okay? I don't need you hitting the floor because you're so stiff when it puts you in sleep mode." Connor nodded and forced himself to relax. Markus made his way back over to his computer. He typed on the keyboard for a few moments before saying "Are you ready? It's about to begin."

"I'm ready." **[[Download beginning.]]**

The last thing Connor remembered was a swirl of emotions that hit him with an incredible force before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not trying to dismiss North from this fic, because I realize that the representation of female characters in it is rather lacking excluding Tina. She will most likely return from Canada and be featured in later chapters. I just like Markus with Simon so much better, and it makes so much more sense than Markus with North. I've played through the games a handful of times now, and they end up together pretty much despite what you do, which never made sense to me because if you're choosing a pacifist route for Markus, pretty much everything he does pisses North off, but pleases Simon.  
> With that being said, since Alice and Kara are mentioned because North is visiting them, I will say that they won't have a a role in this story. I was originally going to have them in the story just a bit, but even the thought of it seemed messy with the amount of character I'm already dealing with. You'll hear other characters mention them from time to time, but that'll be as far as their role goes. 
> 
> Thank you so much for those of you continuing to comment. <3 I've been having a really rough go at life recently, and writing has always been an outlet for me, so it means a lot. I will respond to them very soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'll reply to comments soon, I've just had a burst of inspiration lately, and I'm trying to ride that high while it's still here. As always, thank you. I'm very relieved that people seemed to enjoy the last chapter, I was a bit nervous about it because it wasn't exactly a Convin chapter, just a Connor chapter. But I wanted to write a fic where Connor and Gavin grow both together and separately, where it explores who they are as a couple, but individually as well. It's also important for me to follow canon while including my own twist on it, so there will be more chapters that follows them individually where you learn things about them never established in canon (such as why Connor loves dogs so much and how he handles Markus' upgrade, why Gavin has a scar and hates androids, etc). You guys have been amazing and I'm so glad to see this fandom (and ship!) are still alive. <3

This was a bad idea. A catastrophically bad idea, and Gavin couldn't believe he let Tina talk him into it. For whatever fucking reason, she felt like it was a smart idea to have him around Connor with alcohol involved, when he could barely handle his dumbass when he was completely sober. The only saving grace was that he didn't have to go into work tomorrow, and if he ended up punching the android in the face again then at least he would have a day to brace himself before Fowler fired him. Gavin sighed, putting his car in park outside the bar. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He didn't fucking get it. There were a million and two better things he could be doing with his time, including but not limited to, working on the fucking case of a potential _serial killer_. But then Tina had went and recruited Chris, and Chris immediately started guilt tripping him about how they hardly saw each other now that Gavin was partnered with Connor. Assholes. The entire lot of them. Some friends they were. That's right, they weren't friends, they were _traitors_ -

"Are you going to get out of the car so we can get this party started, or are you just going to sit in your car pouting?" Chris' voice interrupted Gavin's thoughts, slightly muffled from where he was standing outside the car, staring at Gavin through the drivers window.

Gavin muttered some choice words under his breath and killed the engine, not waiting for Chris to get out of the way before swinging open the car door, and smirking when it smacked him. "You got a ride tonight, or am I the DD?" Gavin asked, ignoring Chris' angry swearing.

"I'm crashing at Tina's so we just carpool to work tomorrow since she lives closer." Chris mumbled, rubbing his shin where the car door hit him.

Gavin quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure _she_ won't need a DD? Have you seen that girl drink?"

Chris shrugged. "We can always take a cab if we need to. There's no point in you driving to the other side of town. Stop being such a mom friend, we're not dumb. We're not going to get schwifty and then get behind the wheel."

Gavin laughed. "Schwifty? Really? Rick and Morty is such a fucking old show, Chris. No wonder you're single." He started making his way to the bar.

"Yeah, and what's your excuse?" Chris pouted, following behind him.

Opening the door for him, Gavin replied with a wink. "I'm obviously too much of a catch for anyone."

They found Tina at their favorite high top table, already nursing her first drink and playing on her phone. When she saw them she did an excited little shimmy and Gavin couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since their schedules lined up for the three of them to all hangout at once, and even though they always had to beg him to hangout, it's not like he didn't enjoy their company. There was just no one whose company he enjoyed more than his own. Before they even reached the table, a waitress was sitting a pitcher of beer on the table with two glasses and some bright blue drink next to it.Gavin made it face. It looked like someone broke open a blue glowstick and poured the contents into a whiskey glass. He felt his blood pressure immediately spike when he realized what it was and who it was for. Right. The plastic prick was coming out tonight too.

"Is that what I think it is?" Chris said excitedly, picking up the android drink and eyeing it with awe. "Can you believe they were able tot make something like this? Technology is amazing-" He stopped talking when he realized Gavin was glaring at him.

They took their seats and began chatting, mostly Tina talking about how boring her day at work had been until she pulled over some asshole driving down the road smoking a bowl of Red Ice like there wasn't a cop right next to him in traffic. Gavin spaced out, his eyes surveying the bar. Connor was nowhere to be found, and he wondered if Tina had maybe given him a later time to try and work a few drinks into Gavin so he wouldn't be such an asshole. It seemed like something she would do.

"Good _lord_." Chris' voice broke through his daydreaming. "Could they given us a finer waitress, Gavin?"

Gavin's eyes refocused to see their waitress leaving after dropping off some napkins. He knew this was the part where he was supposed to play the stereotypical role of the skirt chasing straight cop, maybe comment on her tits in that overzealous push up bra, or how he wouldn't mind going a couple of rounds with her... but you know what? No. They wanted to go and invite Connor and make the whole fucking night awkward, he was going to make it worse. And it was about time Chris knew anyway. "Uh, she's not really my type, you know, seeing as I'm gay."

Chris stopped eyeing the waitress long enough to turn to him. "No shit. Being gay doesn't mean you can't appreciate a work of art." _Wait, what?_

"He's right, you know." Tina interrupted his confusion, her eyes still following after the waitress. "Some people just look good. Doesn't matter what's in their pants."

Chris laughed. "Oh, that's coming from the bi cop. that's a little biased-"

 _Wait, what?!_ Gavin wasn't just going to let this slide. "You already knew I'm gay?!" He asked, entirely embarrassed about the high pitch his voice took.

Rolling his eyes, Chris took a giant gulp of his beer. "Gavin, how long had when been partners in the past? You don't think I didn't notice all those times you would flirt with guys working at a place we would stop to eat, or that time you almost ran off the side of the road because of the Greek god knock off running on the sidewalk shirtless? You're not nearly as subtle as you think."

"Fuck." Gavin murmured, quickly downing the rest of his drink. It was going to be a long night.

Gavin had been right about Tina giving Connor a later time to arrive, and the plan to get him to relax first must have partially worked because it took Gavin a little off guard when the bell above the bar door chimed and he looked over and saw Connor. He immediately felt his pulse quicken and he rolled his eyes. He had never seen someone look more out of place at a bar before. But Connor did relax when his eyes landed on their table and he began to make his way over. Gavin wanted to flip the table when he realized the only remaining seat was next to him.

"Good evening, Chris, Tina.. Detective Reed." Connor greeted awkwardly.

"Oh c'mon, Gavin! You still got him calling you-" he did his best impression of Connor's voice "-'Detective Reed'? Give the guy a break." He shoved Gavin's shoulder playfully.

"Just trying to keep it professional." He mumbled, looking anywhere but at Connor, and hating his so-called friends with every fiber of his being.

"Is this for me?" Connor asked pleasantly, taking his seat and picking up the robo drink. A smile spread across his lips and Gavin almost choked on his beer at how natural it looked, not forced or awkward.

"All yours, big guy." Tina said raising her own glass to him. "Have you ever tried it before?"

"I can't say I have, Tina. Though Markus has been encouraging me to try it since it released for public consumption. Thank you." He brought the glass to his lips and took a sip (more like a massive gulp) and his face immediately distorted into disgust. Tina and Chris immediately burst into laughter and even Gavin snorted. Fucking amateur. "It's not very pleasant." Connor said weakly.

"Yeah, well most people don't drink for the taste, dumbass." Gavin replied. He felt Tina kick him under the table at the same time he saw Chris give him a disapproving look.

"I suppose it is the effects that people are more interested in." Connor responded absently, holding the glass up to the light and observing the liquid inside. Gavin rolled his eyes.

Conversation began to flow freely between Tina, Chris, and Connor, and Gavin just sat quietly drinking his beer. Every time he felt the urge to provide input, he felt like it was another comment that would earn him another kick so he decided it was best to stay silent. Connor was blabbing on and on about some upgrade that made no fucking sense to Gavin, but when he glanced back and forth between Chris and Tina, he realized that Connor had their full attention, and it pissed him the fuck off. Why were they so interested in hearing what a fucking android had to say when they were just going to end up replacing all humans eventually anyway? And who cared if Connor could feel more things now? 'Look at me, I'm a real boy!' Pinocchio acting ass-

"Earth to Gavin!" Tina's voice broke through his internal rant. He looked up at her in confusion and he realized the waitress was back, asking if they wanted another pitcher. Chris answered with a 'yes' for them, and Connor ordered not one, but two more drinks. Jesus Christ, they were going to have a drunk android on their hands. Great.

Drunk was the understatement of the year. Connor was damn near teetering on his bar stool and Tina had had to grab him more than once. Not that she or Chris had any problem with it, because they were both on the far side of being drunk themselves (yeah, definitely getting a taxi. No driving for them) and thought it was hilarious, especially when Connor hiccuped. Because _apparently_ it was the first time he had ever done so, like, _ever_ , and the confusion on his face and explanation of that had Tina and Chris in stitches... and just like that, Gavin was done. He had _never_ seen them have such a great time while they were out, and for some reason it was because of that plastic asshole?

"I'm going outside for a smoke." Gavin said abruptly, standing up and not waiting for a reply as he made he was to the backdoor leading to the bar patio. The moment he was outside he felt calmer, the cool air much needed in comparison to how hot the bar was. He leaned against the railing fencing in the patio and lit up a cigarette, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. He tried not to smoke a lot, but the feeling that settled over him with that first inhale was a rude reminder of exactly why he couldn't give it up completely. He immediately calmer and more clear headed, and his need to punch Connor in his stupid, perfect face was dialed back by at least three. He heard the door open behind him, not bothering to turn around.  
  
"You okay?" Tina asked quietly, coming up beside him to lean against the railing herself.  
  
Gavin scoffed and flicked the ash from his cigarette, taking another long drag. "I'm fine. It was just too hot in there." What was he supposed to say? Oh boohoo, my friends, the only friends I even have, like robo cop better than? Fucking pathetic.  
  
"Well, you don't always have to wear this old thing all the time." Tina teased, poking at Gavin's leather jacket. "Are you sure you're alright?"  
  
"I said I'm _fine_ , Tina." He snapped.  
  
Tina bit her lip nervously. "Good, because I have some... bad news."  
  
Gavin laughed bitterly. "Oh yeah, what is this time? Did the android finally hurl? Did Chris flirt with the waitress and get kicked by the bouncer?"  
  
"Not quite.."  
  
"...Tina-"  
  
"You can't get mad at me, okay? There was no way for me to know he would be here tonight. But Michael is here." She replied quickly.  
  
"God dammit." Gavin finished off his cigarette, flicking the butt and letting his head fall dramatically. Tina knew what Michael looked like because she had been snooping through Gavin's phone one day and saw where Michael had sent him a very lewd photo. "Chris is wearing his DPD jacket. What happened? Did Michael see it and come over and complain about how I've never introduced him to-" Tina was avoiding his eyes and shifting nervously, and Gavin's anxiety spiked. There was something she wasn't telling him. "What happened?"  
  
"He's drunk. Michael I mean. Maybe he's been bar hopping. Hell, maybe he's been in the bar for awhile and none of us noticed. I don't think he realized who Chris and I are since we haven't met. But he recognized Connor when Connor went up to the bar to order another drink." Gavin cursed under his breath. As if dipshit _needed_ another drink. "I think...I think Michael is trying to take Connor home. He's being really flirty, and poor Connor, he's so drunk and oblivious. I figured I would let you deal with it since you and Michael are... you know." Gavin sighed and closed his eyes, trying to calm down. He _knew_ this night was a bad idea from the start. "Don't be mad, Gav. Chris and I can handle it, I just thought you might want to intervene because he's-"  
  
"What, my boyfriend?" Gavin snorted sarcastically. "I don't care who Michael fucks."  
  
Tina looked hurt, which really confused Gavin until she spoke again. "No, I was just going to say that you might want to intervene because Connor is your partner, and I didn't think you would want him taken advantage of, especially by someone you know..."  
  
Fuck. God fucking dammit. Tina was right. Connor was a fucking asshole, but he was a very drunk, very oblivious, very _innocent_ asshole, and Michael... wasn't a good person. How else would he have gotten mixed up with Gavin in the first place? He wouldn't put it past Michael to just use Connor to get a rise out of him, because Tina was right. Michael wasn't the type to keep things as a casual hookup, and he had been dropping hints for months about that and Gavin had actively chosen to ignore it. "I'll handle it." He snapped, straightening his jacket and walking towards the door. "You good, Tina? You and Chris? I'll get everyone's tabs. Just... get a taxi for the two of you and get home safe, okay?"  
  
"You don't want us to stay in case something pops off?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.  
  
"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to tell Michael to fuck off and drag Connor away and get him a cab." Gavin ran his fingers through his hair. "I told you tonight was a bad idea."  
  
Tina smiled sheepishly. "You were nicer than I was expecting. That's progress, Reed." She grabbed him by shirt and pulled him in for a hug. He rolled his eyes but hugged her back. Drunk ass. "He's not so bad, Gavin." Tina muttered against his chest. "And I think he really wants you to like him."  
  
Gavin pulled out of the hug abruptly. "What did he say while I was gone?"  
  
Tina neutralized her face, but because she was drunk, it was overacted and obvious. "Nothing. I'll grab Chris. Just tell your boy toy to back off from our friend." _Friend_. How did Tina make it seem so simple? That someone could just become your friend overnight? Especially when the new "friend" in question was a robot that had punched out her real friend not that long ago. Gavin decided not the argue, and just held open the door for her, watching her clumsily grab Chris and start pulling him out of the bar.  
  
Gavin walked up to the bar (okay, maybe he _stalked_ up to the bar) and Michael immediately noticed him and turned to greet him with a sly grin on his face. Connor turned too, all unbalanced posture and unfocused eyes.  
  
Michael looked pleased with himself. "Gavin! I was just talking to your _handsome_ partner here! I didn't know you were here as well. Did you know this absolutely gorgeous man has never even had sex before?" Gavin felt his face heat up, and when he glanced to Connor out of the corner of his eye he saw Connor blushing a little too, and holy fucking shit, androids blushed _blue_. "I mean I should have known when I had to outright ask him back to my place for sex for him to catch on but-"  
  
"What the fuck are you doing, Michael?" Gavin growled.  
  
"I just told you." Michael eyes were dancing with mirth, and god damn if Gavin thought he wanted to punch Connor before, it was nothing compared to how much he wanted to hit Michael. "I'm trying to get Connor to come home with me. You don't have a problem with that do you? I mean you shouldn't. It's not like we're _dating_ right?" Gavin had been immature and childish _plenty_ in his life, but dear god was Michael both petulant and transparent. He was trying to make Gavin jealous, which Gavin would normally just ignore, but right now Michael was trying to do it at the expense of taking advantage of his very drunk partner, and god that was just fucked up. In fact, Connor was so drunk that he hadn't even said anything, he was just drunkenly looking back and forth between the two of them, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and his LED swirling with absolutely no steady rhythm at all.  
  
But that was when Connor finally spoke up. "Um, the offer is flattering, Michael, but I really must decline."  
  
Gavin smirked at Michael haughtily. "You hear that? He declines. And while he's doing so politely, I'm not going to be so polite about it. Fuck off. He doesn't want to sleep with you."  
  
Michael's whole facade slipped at that, an angry scowl on his face. He finished the drink in his hand and angrily slammed the empty cup on the bar. "I guess he's too busy sleeping with you." He snapped, storming off.  
  
"That man is very confusing." Connor slurred, shaking his head. Gavin exhaled, not realizing he had been holding his breath. Connor took his eyes off of Michael once he had exited the bar, and turned to Gavin instead. "Why would he assume we were sleeping together? You don't even _like_ me-"  
  
"He's an asshole." Gavin interrupted, really wishing the ken doll would shut the fuck up about them _sleeping together_. "And I'm no saint. So he just figures I'll fuck anything that moves." Connor's LED swirled as if he was trying to comprehend that. He reached for his drink and Gavin pried it out of his hands. "I'm cutting you off, tin can. You're drunk as shit. You could've kicked his ass. Hell, you can kick _my_ ass. When he was getting ballsy you should have just told him to leave you alone." Connor didn't reply, he just stared at Gavin, and Gavin was reminded of just how hot it was in the bar when the doe-eyed son of a bitch was looking at him like that. "Do you work tomorrow?"  
  
Connor ignored him. "I don't know if I like drinking very much."  
  
Gavin laughed, assuming it was because Connor was finally teetering on the edge of puking. "Why is that?"  
  
"It's very difficult to focus when you're standing so close. Normally when you're this close to me, it's because you're angry. You don't seem angry." Connor murmured it awe, like it was some sort of revelation.  
  
Gavin ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, you're wasted. Just let me pay the tab and I'll get you a taxi." Gavin flagged down the bartender and explained all the tabs he was covering. When he brought the check, Gavin didn't bother doing the mental math but did make a note that robo drinks were expensive as shit. "Let's get you out of here." Gavin said, throwing a wad of cash on the counter. He thought Connor was fine until he started walking, no, _stumbling_ after him, and Gavin had to grab him by the arm to keep him upright. "Son of a bitch." He growled under his breath, realizing he was going to have to help the dumb fucker walk. He threw Connor's arm around his neck and wrapped his own arm around the small of his back, helping him walk.  
  
"I'm sorry, Detective Reed." Connor said. "It seems like I'm having some system instability. I know this must be difficult for you since you don't like me."  
  
"I like you a lot less when you're talking." Gavin snapped, helping him out of the bar. When they got outside he steadied Connor and pulled out his phone to call a taxi but stopped himself. "On a scale of one to ten, how pissed is Anderson going to be that you're this fucked up?"  
  
Connor's LED swirled, doing the actual fucking probability probably. "It's likely he'll think you got me drunk on purpose because you're a dick. His words, not mine." He hiccuped.  
  
Gavin groaned. "And how pissed would he be if you stayed at a friend's house because it's late and you didn't want to wake him up?"  
  
"Less angry, I believe. Should I take a taxi to Markus'?" Connor asked, swaying.  
  
Gavin heard the sky rumble, and felt a few raindrops hit his face. "No... fucking idiot. You're sleeping on my couch. Or maybe you don't sleep. But you're coming to my place until you sober up." Connor was ignoring him to look up at the sky, his eyes wide and a delighted smile on his face. The action immediately made him lose balance and Gavin had to grab him again. "What the fuck are you _doing_?" Gavin whined.  
  
Connor started laughing. Not drunk everything-is-so-funny laughing, but this light, elated laughter that almost made Gavin want to smile. "This is the first time I've ever felt the rain." Connor explained.  
  
And as the raindrops slid down Connor's perfect porcelain skin, and caught in his long dark eyelashes, Gavin couldn't help but wonder what else he could feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Tina is portrayed as a lesbian in a _lot_ of fanfiction, but I wanted to write her as bi because a) I'm becoming incredibly attached to her already and I have the tendency to project (whoops) and b) I love the idea of her thirsting after both Chris and Gavin's types when they're all hanging out. A disaster bi, disaster gay, and disaster straight all walk into a bar...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, you get to know what Connor let slip to Tina at the bar.
> 
> Seriously, I promise I'm going to get to everyone's comments!

**[[Analyzing...]]**

**[[Analyzing...]]**

**[[Analyzing...]]**

**[[Analysis failed.]]**

****

For the first time since Connor was brought into existence, he didn't go from sleep mode to awake immediately with no transition period, it was a slow, gradual, foggy slip into wakefulness. The first thing he noticed was that his head hurt, and that was new. New and incredibly uncomfortable, and he groaned, blinking his eyes and wondering why he had ever agreed to Markus' new update. The second thing he noticed was that his mind was foggy, thoughts were having difficulty connecting, and he did not feel well. The room was spinning a little, and it was difficult to focus his eyes. The last thing he noticed was that he was lying down on something soft, looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling, and he wasn't entirely sure where he was. Despite not knowing his exact location, he didn't feel as if he was in any danger. He ran an analysis one more time, and it failed again, but he felt some soft and warm shift at his feet. He sat up quickly, and his version blurred at the pulsing head pain **[[Migraine. Hangover occurring.]]** but when his vision finally focused, Remy was looking up at him, her eyes warm and friendly, and her tail thumping against the couch. Remy... he was at Detective Reed's house. He was on Detective Reed's couch.  
  
"Hello, Remy." Connor greeted, scratching behind her ears. She immediately whined needily and crawled into his lap, licking his face while her tail swung back and forth wildly. Connor laughed, pushing her down gently so that she was lying across his thighs. She stretched out contently once he started petting her back. "What am I doing here...?" He asked the question mostly to himself, but Remy whine in response anyway, snuggling closer to him. Connor looked around the room and noticed her dog bed on the floor next to the fireplace. It was barely used, the couch having much more dog hair on it than the actual bed. Connor had a feeling she was a lot more spoiled than Sumo. Connor ran a diagnostic on his memories from the night before. He remembered going to the bar. He remembered trying the new android alcoholic beverage, then another, then another, and then even more. He remembered talking to Tina and Chris, remembered Gavin being quiet and keeping to himself. Then things began to get...hazy. His system struggled to decipher the memories to completion after that point, the images blurry and the sound distorted. He continued running diagnostics until the memories began to get more clear, and when the analysis finally completed, he shifted uncomfortably on the couch, and officially decided that he did not like drinking. He had... not quite been himself the previous night.  
  
At first it had been pleasant. It aided him in being more social. Conversation with Tina and Chris flowed more easily, the weird static of Gavin being quiet and uncomfortable didn't feel as awkward even though it was apparent that he didn't want Connor there. Chris and Tina were welcoming and actually found the things he said interesting. They didn't just hear him speaking, they were listening to him and providing input to what he was saying. It had been nice. Unfortunately, something shifted as he began drinking more. Things went from pleasant, to pleasant yet overwhelming, and oddly.. funny. His equilibrium was off completely, making balance difficult. He began hiccuping, which Chris and Tina had thought was hilarious. They both found him very funny, and even though he had been working on his humor, he didn't expect people to actually enjoy it. For some reason though, that angered Detective Reed and he temporarily left the bar to step outside. If he had been sober, Connor would have reluctantly ignored this behavior because Gavin could be a tad... dramatic when he was upset. Instead, being intoxicated, the behavior had _bothered_ Connor. It almost felt like an itch under his skin, and he was frustrated. His mind fixated on the fact that Gavin didn't like him, and how it made his job harder, made his _life_ outside of work harder even. He had apparently been saying these thoughts out loud, because Tina had responded. She was sympathetic and assured Connor that it was nothing directly personal, that Gavin was a jerk to everyone, and that it went further than that but it wasn't her place to say and that it was Gavin's business. The air had shifted and Connor, despite his intoxication, could feel the heaviness in the moment. Chris had attempted to lighten the mood, making a joke about how it probably didn't help that under different circumstances Connor would be just Gavin's type.  
  
There was a problem with that statement. That problem was that even though it was a joke, Connor was too drunk to understand it was a joke and asked Chris to elaborate. Tina had tried to stop Chris, but Chris just laughed and assured her that Connor was too drunk to remember, probably not realizing that Connor could restore certain memories if the circumstances were correct. Chris explained that Gavin had a "thing" for guys the opposite of him, he always had. Connor supposed he was quite different than Gavin. He had just stared at Chris blankly, his LED swirling yellow as he had tried to make sense of what that was supposed to mean, and it only made Chris and Tina laugh again. Chris finally explained that he was pretty sure that Gavin thought Connor was "hot". Connor's face had felt like it heated up. He was blushing, for the first time. It was a night that involved many firsts thanks to Markus' update.  
  
Connor reached down and adjusting Remy's collar, distracting himself. Gavin Reed's closest friends thought that Gavin was attracted to Connor, which was uncomfortable in and of itself. But Connor had made things even more uncomfortable by his response. Without alcohol, Connor could take a moment to himself before responding. He could decide between different things to say, he could attempt to predict the different outcomes attached to the different responses. Alcohol prevented that, and instead he said the first thing he computed, the first thing that ran across his mind. Which in that case, was that it was flattering that Gavin thought he was "hot", because Gavin was quite attractive himself, even despite the large scar across his nose. Connor felt his face heat up again at the memory, and felt the impulse to hide his face in Remy's fur. Embarrassment. That was new, and Connor immediately decided that he wasn't a fan of it, especially when he remembered how Chris and Tina had smirked and exchanged looks at his response; like some secret was being passed between them. Despite being drunk, Connor felt strange and got up to purchase another drink. At the bar he ran into Michael. Michael had immediately began to flirt with him, which made Connor uncomfortable. He still wasn't sure what the exact nature of Gavin and Michael's relationship was, but he felt like Michael hitting on him was inappropriate, and in the very least, colorfully worded. But Gavin had intervened, and now Connor was sitting on Gavin's couch, petting his dog, and really not wanting to face Gavin at all.  
  
As fate would have it, it was that moment that Gavin appeared in view in the hallway, looking sleepy and rumpled in soft grey sweatpants and a long sleeved black v neck. **[[Analyzing... well rested. Nervous.]]** His eyebrows shot up when he saw Connor, surprised to see him awake. "Good. You're not dead or whatever. That would have been weird to explain to Anderson." He mumbled, running his hand through his hair and staring down at the floor. "I still wasn't sure if you could sleep and you just sorta passed out. Then I wasn't sure if you could get alcohol poisoning... but I guess you're fine." He shrugged and ignored the living room in favor of turning to head into the kitchen. Connor knew immediately that it was for coffee, and that his plan to leave before things could get more awkward was officially been sabotaged. He gently prodded Remy off his lap and stood up, following after Gavin to the kitchen with Remy at his heels. He had been correct and Gavin was leaned against the counter, waiting for his coffee to brew. Connor wondered if the detective knew he could just have it set up to automatically brew on it's own.  
  
Gavin turned at the sound of Connor and Remy's footsteps and leaned his hips against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "I called the department this morning after checking your schedule and realizing you were supposed to be at work this morning. I told Fowler you had some robo update shit to deal with and that you couldn't come in."  
  
Connor stared at Gavin for a moment, his LED swirling. "Why?"  
  
Gavin shrugged. "You were drunk as shit last night. I knew you weren't going to be worth a damn at work with your first ever hangover. Besides, I don't work today. It's not like you would make any progress in the case without me."  
  
Connor couldn't help but smile. "Thank you for last night, Detective Reed." He mumbled.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. Don't mention it. No, seriously, don't mention it. I just didn't want to drop you off at Hank's with you wasted, and then him show up at the DPD trying to kick my ass because I'm corrupting his perfect little android son." Gavin scoffed. Connor's smile didn't fade. Somewhere, underneath the conscience decision to be rude and abrasive, Gavin was... almost nice. He wasn't sure why Gavin insisted on portraying himself as cruel. "Did you text Hank so he doesn't show up here with a shotgun or something?" Gavin asked.  
  
"I texted him last night. I don't quite remember doing so, and I do believe there were a few words misspelled, but I let him know that I was staying with a friend so I wouldn't wake him up since it was late." Connor noticed the was Gavin scowled at the word 'friend', and Connor felt like it was better if he didn't ask him if that's what they were now, because he was pretty sure they weren't. Connor made his way over to the kitchen table, sitting down and ignoring how Gavin was glaring at him for making himself at home. Remy looked back and forth between him and Gavin for a moment, and after a great internal debate, she came to Gavin's side instead of following after Connor. "I wasn't just thanking you for bringing me here." Connor continued, gently clasping his hands together on the table. Gavin crouched to greet Remy, murmuring a soft 'hey, pretty girl' to her as she looked lovingly up at him. Connor continued. "I was also thanking you for...dealing with Michael."  
  
Gavin shrugged uncomfortably, avoiding his eyes. "Yeah, well, you might be a plastic prick but he's a fucking asshole. You clearly weren't interested and he should have left you alone. No mean no. Doesn't matter if you're an android or not." He made his way over to Remy's food bowl, filling it. It was a different brand than Sumo ate, and Remy shifted her weight back and forth between her two front paws, doing a little dance while she waited patiently for her food. Gavin straightened up and faced Connor while Remy immediately lunged at her food bowl. "What did he say to you anyway? Honestly if he said anything about me just ignore it-"  
  
"He didn't say anything about you." Connor assured him. Connor knew Detective Reed was private, but he was curious as to what Michael could have said that was making Gavin so nervous. Connor felt his nose scrunch up in disgust. "He was... very vulgar about his intentions."  
  
Gavin laughed. "Yeah? Michael is used to batting his eyelashes and dropping a few dirty lines to get his way. Guess he didn't realize dirty talk would go completely over your head." Connor wondered if Michael talked that way to Gavin, if Gavin knew Michael was used to getting his way from experience. He ignored the invasive thoughts and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The smirk on Gavin's face fell. It must be obvious that Connor was uncomfortable. "Jesus Christ, tin can. What did he say to you?"  
  
"It didn't bother me at the time." Connor started slowly, avoiding Gavin's eyes. "But I'm now realizing that was the first time in a long time I felt like I was being treated like an object, and not a living being."  
  
Gavin's jaw flexed, and Connor knew he was trying to stop himself from arguing about the 'living being' comment. "Fuck." He groaned. He licked his lips, thinking. "He didn't like, touch you. did he? I'll talk to him-"  
  
"He didn't touch me." Connor said. He took his coin out of his jacket pocket. He didn't need to check his dexterity, but this conversation just felt so _uncomfortable_ and he wanted to distract his hands so they didn't fidget. He played with the coin in his right hand, watching it as he spoke again. "He kept calling me pretty?" Connor didn't like the uncertainty in his voice, the confusion in it. "He said I must have... a lot of suitors. Only worded... differently. I didn't realize he was flirting at first, especially since you two-" He looked up at Gavin for a second. Gavin looked angry and Connor just kept talking, because he didn't feel like the anger was towards him. "I was confused because I was unaware of the nature of your relationship with Michael, so I didn't feel like he was flirting with me. I told him I had never had sex before because I thought he was being literal." Connor's skin felt like it was crawling from his discomfort and he stopped talking.  
  
"And he thought he could change that. That he could change the fact that you haven't had sex." Gavin finished for him, his voice more of a growl. "Yeah, like I said, he's an asshole."  
  
"I guess that's how you two ended up together." Connor said, smirking teasingly, and immediately realize that it wasn't the right thing to say.  
  
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Gavin snapped. Connor just raised an eyebrow at him. His own response should be answer enough. "Yeah, well, just because you're my partner it doesn't mean I have to kiss your ass. I didn't _ask_ to replace Anderson when he broke his leg, and I don't have to pretend to like it, dipshit."  
  
"You don't have to pretend to hate it either." Connor responded. He didn't understand Gavin, didn't understand why Gavin felt the need to close himself off and lash out at everyone.  
  
"Pretend to hate it?" Gavin snarled. He stormed over to the table, glaring down at Connor. **[[Analyzing... stress levels at 83%. Heart rate increasing rapidly.]]** "Trust me, you plastic fuck, I'm not pretending to do anything, you're just lucky I've gotten better at restraining myself." His voice was low and intimidating as if he hadn't learned that it didn't work on Connor, that he didn't intimidate Connor. "One of these days you're not going to know how to keep your mouth shut and I'm going to tear you apart."  
  
Connor didn't respond at first, just sat there with his LED swirling, flicking between blue and yellow. It was incredibly frustrating that Gavin's mood changed so abruptly. Connor was never sure where to draw the line, never sure if what he said would make things better or worse. He just wanted Gavin to make _sense_. "Detective Reed-"  
  
"Just get the fuck out." Gavin interrupted. Remy was barking at him for raising his voice, her tail between her legs, but Connor was focused on the fact that Gavin's grey eyes almost looked...scared. Connor couldn't bring himself to scan him, it felt too invasive, felt too much like snooping.  
  
Connor stood up. "As you wish, Detective."  
  
  
  
  
"Christ, Connor. You look like shit." Hank said, the moment Connor walked into the living room. Sumo was following after him, sniffing his slacks and being completely fascinated with the scent on them. Connor pondered if he would like Remy for a moment.  
  
"I don't feel too pleasant either." Connor replied, plopping down on the couch next to him. He knew he looked bad, his hair a mess, his shirt halfway undone, and his tie loosened. He couldn't quite recall when all of that had happened.  
  
Hank laughed and patted him on the back. "Is that why you're not at work?" He asked. "I never expected you to play hooky."  
  
"I told them I had an update." A half lie. Gavin told them. "And I _did_ have one the other day. That's what Markus wanted to talk to me about."  
  
"Oh, yeah? What's changed?" Hank asked, taking a sip of his coffee.  
  
"A lot." Connor replied simply. His head still hurt, he was still completely perplexed by Gavin, and he didn't feel like explaining everything again after explaining it to Chris and Tina last night. "I feel very overwhelmed. It's probably best that I didn't go in today. I don'r think I would be much help."  
  
"Hmm." Hank grunted, watching him carefully. "You okay, Con? You can't throw up, can you? How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm feeling... everything." Connor muttered. "All at once. I think it's going to take me a while to get used to it. But no, I can't throw up. That I'm aware of. I mostly feel tired for the first time."  
  
"Well, you already know one of the rooms is yours." Hank muttered quietly. "Did you at least have fun with your friends?"  
  
Connor thought for a moment before speaking. Despite Gavin's moodiness and Michael's advances, despite his annoying, persistent migraine and feeling exhausted...it had been fun. It most likely would have been more fun had he stopped drinking after a certain point. He had noticed Gavin had done that. He stopped drinking long before Chris and Tina had. "I think I did." Connor finally spoke. "It was different, seeing my coworkers in a different sitting where we discussed topics other than crime. Tina and Chris are very nice."  
  
Hank was watching him again. "And what about Reed?"  
  
"He has his moments." Connor responded immediately. "He's... not nice. But he has these moments where I don't think he's all bad."  
  
"Con...I know you want to get along with him because he's your partner, and that'll make your life a helluva lot easier. But don't go falling for any bullshit either. That asshole still tried to kill you just because you were doing your job."  
  
"Technically he was just doing his job as well, Hank." Connor said earnestly. "I will just be relieved when I'm partnered with you again."   
  
Hank snorted. "That's just 'cause I let you get away with murder. Go get some rest, kid. When you wake up, We'll watch a movie. I'll let you pick this time since you're the one playing hooky."   
  
Connor nodded in agreement, standing up. That sounded like a great idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Connor remembering an entire half of the previous chapter through his own perspective was sooo annoying. Remind me not to do that again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short but it's because it's leading up to something bigger. And hey, look at how much I've been updating on top of that!

Gavin took a drag off his cigarette on his back porch as his free hand ran through his hair. He was slowly calming down but he was _pissed_ , and he wasn't even sure _why_. It's not like the android had said something he hadn't made a million jokes about himself. But something about Connor's easy smirk and teasing tone had set him off. Like Connor was _comfortable_ with him, and why the fuck should he be? They weren't friends. Gavin didn't let him stay the night because he was worried about him, he just didn't feel like dealing with Hank's bullshit if something were to happen to him. And the way Connor had said 'thanks for last night', all soft brown eyes and sincerity... fuck. That was the exact line countless men had said after a one night stand, and hearing it come out of Connor's mouth made his skin crawl because he was learning way too much about the assholes (lack of) sex life. Not to mention he still had to deal with Michael. It was time to end this back and forth bullshit they were doing. It's not like Gavin couldn't find someone else to fuck. It's just that for the longest time he and Michael had an agreement, sex with no strings attached. And it was easy and convenient, and had been working out perfectly up until Michael started dropping hints that he wanted more. Now Gavin had to deal with it, because apparently, Tina was always fucking right.

Gavin finished off the cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray. He opened the sliding door that led to the living room, expecting Remy to be on the couch, but she was nowhere in sight. He made his way back into the kitchen and found her cowering next to her food bowl, in the same position he had left her in before he went outside to smoke. "Fuck." He muttered. He wasn't sure if dogs could have PTSD exactly, but if they could, Remy definitely had it. Every single time she had ever heard him yell, she did this. She cowered in a corner somewhere and refused to budge until he was able to convince her that everything was okay. Gavin knew a dog that had been rescued from a dog fighting ring was going to have a ton of issues, but it still broke his heart every time. Remy was so sweet, so _innocent_. He was convinced she had never done anything wrong in her entire life, and he knew the fear she was experiencing wasn't a fear of him, it was loud noises, but it made him feel guilty every single time. "Rems." He said softly, using her nickname in a voice that absolutely was _not_ 'baby talk'. She whined, her tail still between her legs as she tried to make herself look as small as possible. "It's okay pretty girl." He coaxed, slowly approaching her. She uncurled a bit, still whining. Gavin crouched down and extended his hand, continuing to softly speak to her until she finally sat up, and slowly began to belly-crawl over to him. "I'm sorry." He apologized, tentatively petting her head until she finally relaxed and worked her between his knees, still whining occasionally. "I'm a jerk, okay? Your owner is a jerk." She licked his hand gently, and he picked her up. Jesus Christ she was overweight. And that _was_ his fault, but she had been so malnourished when he adopted her. So, if she wanted her food on top of all his left overs, then god dammit she deserved it.

Remy relaxed in his arms and he carried her into the living room, plopping himself down in a lying position on the couch, and grunting at her weight on his chest. She made herself comfortable and had stopped whining, but he could still feel the occasional tremor run through her body. "I won't raise my voice again around you." He promised. "Connor just get under my skin, you know?" She placed her head on her paws across his chest, looking up at him with her innocent, warm eyes. "Don't give me that look." Gavin chuckled. "Your opinion doesn't count here. You actually like the plastic prick." He ruffled her ears. "But you don't like Michael, do you? I wonder what that says about him. Shit, I wonder what that says about _me_. He's probably the one I should be yelling at." Remy didn't respond, because of course she fucking didn't, she was a dog. At some point, Gavin drifted off to sleep.

When Gavin woke up, Remy was sprawled out on top of him on her back, her mouth gaping open with quiet snores escaping it. Gavin rolled his eyes. Spoiled brat. He gently rubbed her tummy. She deserved it. Trying not to wake her, he worked his phone out of his sweatpants pocket and pulled up Michael's contact to send him a text. **_ < Come over. > _**

Gavin's phone pinged, the response immediate. **_ > That didn't take long. < _**

Gavin gritted his teeth. The fucking asshole thought his little jealousy attempt actually worked. **_ < Just come over. > _**

**_ > I'll be there in 15. Be ready. ;) < _ **

Jesus Christ. Gavin rubbed his eyes in annoyance."Remy you gotta get up." He said shaking her. She snorted and rolled over, wagging her tail at him. He looked down at her, not sure if he was going to be able to keep his promise to her not to raise his voice once Michael came over, and decided it was best just to let her outside to the fenced in back yard with her favorite squeaky toy. It took her some coaxing to get up, and Gavin was fully convinced her lazy ass was the reason that he couldn't get anything done on his days off. He let her outside, tossing both her favorite toy and a bone in the yard because he felt bad. He made his way to the kitchen and finished off his now very cold coffee with a grimace, and was putting the cup in the sink just as his doorbell rang. He heard Remy bark from the yard, and opened the door.  
  
Michael pushed his way inside immediately, bringing their lips together aggressively, his hand already trying to work it's way into Gavin's sweatpants. Gavin pushed him back. "We need to talk, Michael."  
  
Michael snorted. " _You_ want to _talk_? When did hell freeze over?"  
  
"I'm serious." Gavin growled.  
  
Licking his lips, Michael played with the waistband of Gavin's sweatpants. He bit his lip and looked up at Gavin through his long, light eyelashes. "How about we talk after I suck you off?"  
  
Gavin's brain went offline for a second, his dick beginning to stir. He hated himself for it, but dear god, they had been playing this game for almost a year, he was practically conditioned to get hard when Michael looked at him like that. Michael was sexy as hell and he knew it, he was all tanned skin, lean muscles, and broad shoulders, his messy blonde hair just on the right side of long that made Gavin want to pull it, made Gavin want to make him yell out and beg for him to fuck him harder. In the time that it took him to imagine Michael on his knees, Michael grinned, bringing their lips together again like he had won. Gavin pushed him back again, bringing his brain back online because he had to _stop_ this. "I'm serious. We can't do this anymore." He didn't give time for Michael to respond and made his way back to the living room, sitting down on the couch and scrubbing a hand over his face. His 5 'o' clock shadow was getting too long and he needed to shave.  
  
Michael had followed after him and sat down next to him, looking confused. "Why would you want to end this? I thought we had a good thing going here." He asked.  
  
Gavin laughed bitterly. He was trying to keep his cool, trying to make this a clean break that got rid of Michael without the drama he knew was knocking on the door. "And I thought we had an understanding about what _this_ is. It's just sex Michael. It's always been just sex. And you want more. I know I've pretended not to notice. But I have. I've noticed the suggestions that we go to the movies or go out to dinner. I've noticed you trying to stay the night or coax me into cuddling. I've noticed all of it. But I thought you would give up because I've made it clear since day one that I'm not interested in dating."  
  
Fidgeting uncomfortably, Michael avoided his eyes. "I thought I was being more subtle that that."  
  
"You were. For awhile. Last night was anything but subtle." Gavin muttered.  
  
Michael picked at a piece of fuzz on the couch cushion. "I thought maybe I could make you jealous, and if you got jealous then maybe we would have a shot at being more."  
  
"I'm not the jealous type." Gavin snorted. He took a deep breath. "And honestly, Michael? Even if I would have been _thinking_ about dating you, you shot that to shit last night. I fucking _hate_ Connor, and even I know what you were doing was fucked up. How could you just use someone like that?"  
  
"What, you mean like how you use me?" Michael snapped immediately.  
  
"You knew what this was. I made it _clear_ what this was. I don't date. I don't have any interest in dating anyone." Gavin's voice was raising, his blood pressure spiking. He knew he was a piece of shit, but Michael wasn't innocent in all of this.  
  
Michael laughed humorlessly, standing up. "You're so full of shit Gavin Reed. Yeah, we agreed that we were just going to be fuck buddies. I agreed to that. But this whole bullshit about you not being interesting in dating someone? You're a fucking coward. That's what it comes down to. I've been trying to get to know you for over a year, sleeping with you for almost as long. I don't know the first thing about you. You haven't told me _anything_ about yourself, no matter how hard I've tried.You're just another walking stereotype of the broken, closed off boy with daddy issues."  
  
Gavin tensed up immediately. He knew Michael was jumping to conclusions. He knew that Michael didn't know shit about his dad, and Michael was just trying to hurt him. But it was hitting too close to home. "Shut the fuck up, Michael. You're right. You don't know the first thing about me. So shut your goddamn mouth." He snarled.  
  
"You know, maybe I should be _thanking_ you." Michael continued. "I've wasted a year on you, thinking you would change. But people don't change, and you're no exception. You would have been _lucky_ to have me, and my dumbass? I actually wanted you." Gavin stood up, knowing this was escalating, and he knew he had to get Michael out. Michael smirked, knowing he was getting a rise out of Gavin. "You're not going to find anyone else that wants you." Michael added with a laugh. "No one is going to put up with your shit like I have, and you'll come crawling back when you figure that out."  
  
"Get out, Michael." Gavin said. His tone was eerily calm and quiet, because at this point he was far past the point of anger, and his hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides. He had never put his hands on Michael. He had a temper, but he had never put his hands on anyone he was sleeping with. Sex wasn't supposed to be about fear, and even though he had no emotional connection to the people he fucked, it still meant something to him to never hurt someone he was involved with. Michael was about to change that.  
  
Michael laughed, a little hysterically. His eyes were wild and desperate. "Or is this about Connor? Because we were fine, and then you were partnered with him. You weren't trying to end things when you were partnered with Chris. Then you get a new partner, and you change suddenly? Is he your new little fuck toy? What does he have that I don't?"  
  
"Leave Connor out of this." Gavin replied. "Are you so fucking conceited that you think the only reason anyone would want to break things off with you is because there's someone else? I may not like Connor, but whether I like it or not, Connor is my partner, and I'm not going to be fucking around with someone who is so desperate for my attention that he tries to get my partner involved. I keep my work life and my social life separate."  
  
"Is that why you were at the bar with him?" Michael demanded. "Because going out with your coworkers is not keeping things separate! I'm not stupid, Gavin. I notice way more than I bring up. I was at the bar for an hour once I noticed you there. I just sat back, drank, and watched how full of shit you are. You may roll your eyes and throw insults at Connor left and right, but you're not fooling anyone. I've made comments about other men, even made passes at them in front of you, and you've never reacted. When I met Connor I suggested you bring him around and you immediately lost your shit. I hit on him at the bar, and you swoop in like a knight in shining armor-"  
  
"He's my fucking partner-"  
  
"And so was Chris! But when I saw a picture of him and said how hot he was, you didn't react. So why is it different with Connor?"Gavin froze. Why _was_ it different with Connor? If Chris would have been into guys, he wouldn't have cared at all if Michael hooked up with him. Hell, he would probably encourage it because Michael was a great lay. But he didn't want Michael anywhere near Connor. "My point exactly." Michael added. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I do know you. At least better than you know yourself. _You_ don't have to end this, Gavin. Because _I'm_ done." Michael stormed out, slamming the door behind him.  
  
Gavin could hear Remy barking and at scratching at the sliding glass door, and he numbly walked over to it, sliding it open and letting her inside. She ran over to the couch cushion Michael had been sitting on, sniffing it, but Gavin ignored her. _What made Connor different?_ Was it because he was an android? Was it because dealing with Connor meant dealing with Hank? Was it because Fowler had warned him about how he better get his head out of his ass? Was it Chris and Tina constantly defending him? Was it just because over the past year he had been getting more and more annoyed with Michael, so he was using any excuse to break it off? Gavin sat down in his recliner, the one chair Remy wasn't allowed on because she would scratch the leather. He dropped his face to his hands, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on inside his head. Instead, he pulled out his phone and texted Tina. **_ < I broke things off with Micahel. > _**  
  
**_ > About time moron. < _** And then another text. **_ > Oh Chris & I are totally fine today. Thanks for asking. Definitely not miserably hungover at work or anything. < _**  
  
Gavin laughed, despite the shitty situation he was in. **_ < Drinking was your idea Chen. Not mine. > _**  
  
**_ > Is Connor ok? Chris said u called out for him this morning. < _**  
  
**_ < He was really fuckin hungover. He would have been useless. He sobered up at my house. > _**  
  
**_ > Holy shiiiit. U let someone sleep over? U? Am I texting Gavin? Who r u and y did u take his phone? < _** Gavin groaned. It wasn't fucking _like_ that. Why did everyone think it was? He ignored Tina's text but she messaged him again. **_ > I'm proud of u Gav < _** Gavin swallowed hard, his eyes stinging, and he realized that Tina was probably the first and only person to ever tell him that they were proud of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin 110% baby talks his dog, and no one can convince me otherwise. He also has full conversations with her and claims it's for her benefit, but we all know our boy is very much affection deprived and that's why he loves how needy his dog is. I'm also glad everyone loves Remy so much because I have SUCH a soft spot for pitbulls. They're so intelligent and so expressive, and it absolutely kills me that they have such a bad reputation. Remy isn't a particular kind of pitbull, she was just loosely visually based off of a pitbull named Nala that I used to know. If you're imagining a white furred chonky girl, then that's exactly what she looks like. Her tail and ears aren't docked and cropped though. Please leave puppers tails and ears alone. :(
> 
> For those of you who don't know, I have a tumblr account under this same username (anchorsoutatsea) if you want to stop by and say hi, or would prefer to shoot me a message instead of comment. I'm not very active on it at ALL, but I still receive the push notifications for interactions on my account.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is going to involve a case (not related to the serial killer) that may contain some things I feel like may need a trigger warning. I'm going to put the warning at the beginning of the end chapter notes, so if you have any triggers, I strongly suggest you scroll to the end and check out the warnings just in case. I'm putting it at the end so that people who want to avoid spoilers can read without seeing them, but I still wanted to give the heads up for those that do have triggers. If any of the triggers apply to you, and you feel like they prevent you from being able to read the chapter, just leave me a comment and we'll work something out so I can send you a version of the chapter that just skims over the topic so you can keep reading without being triggered! It's really no different or anymore graphic than what you would experience in DBH, but fanfiction is supposed to be fun so I don't want to trigger anyone.
> 
> Also, I would read the end chapter notes anyway, because since you all hate Michael so much I felt like I would drop some fun facts about him to lighten the mood.
> 
> Also also, if anyone knows of artists taking commissions for DBH fanart, please send me their way. I have an idea that won't go away, and I have no artistic talent.

Connor entered the Detroit Police Department feeling much better than he had been the previous day. Hangovers were unpleasant, despite how much Hank seemed to enjoy teasing him about it, especially once Connor had told him about Michael's flirting. Of course Connor left out key details to the story, like Gavin's involvement. Connor believed that Hank thought that he had just stayed the night at Tina's, and for some reason, he didn't feel compelled to correct him. Hank was overprotective to say the least, and still scowled and got defensive any time Gavin was brought up. It was probably best if Hank was in the dark about certain things.

Connor made his way over to Gavin's desk with the intention of starting to work on the case immediately. The good news pertaining to the case was that there hadn't been any more murders. The bad news was that they hadn't made any progress. Even though Gavin had appeared well-rested the last time Connor had saw him, he knew it had to do with the fact that Gavin had been drinking. Ever since Gavin was assigned to the case, he hadn't been sleeping properly. Connor knew the moment he analyzed the dark circles under his eyes. They were always there, but they had been getting progressively worse. Connor knew it wasn't his place to bring it up, and remained quiet about it, but he also knew that humans got more irritable with lack of sleep, and it was the last thing Detective Reed needed.

Gavin had his feet up on his desk, like he did most days, and was filing through printed off pictures of one of the crime scenes. His leather jacket was on the back of his chair and he was wearing a thin, long sleeve shirt in a soft grey. Connor wasn't sure why he was going over the evidence. The files were already stored on Gavin's computer, so Connor wasn't entirely sure why he needed physical prints. "Good morning, Detective Reed." Connor greeted. Gavin flinched. "Can I ask what you're doing?"

Gavin scoffed, not looking up. "My fucking job." He muttered.

"Yes, I understand that." Connor continued. "But you've already looked at the crime scenes files on your computer multiple times. Why are you looking at the prints?"

Gavin sighed, sliding his boots off of his desk with a thud as he finally looked up at Connor. "Because I don't have your freaky Superman x-ray eyes. I had Julia print them off to see if I could maybe notice something that I couldn't on the computer. The computer screen can sorta mess with colors and stuff."

Connor didn't have this problem because he could upload the photographs directly to his memory, but he decided not to bring that up.

"Annnd here's the last of them." Julia appeared, and hopped up on Gavin's desk, her feet kicking beneath her playfully. She was sitting close, and Connor noticed that when Gavin swiveled to face her in his chair, he also used the opportunity to put some distance between them. Julia handed him the photographs and gave him her most dazzling smile. "You know, Detective, if you wanted to see me, you didn't have to use blood spatter analysis as an excuse. You could have just asked.

Gavin laughed uncomfortably. "Just trying to do my job, Julia." He said, taking the evidence from her.

She pouted playfully. "What do I have to do to get you to ask me out?" She asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Connor's social relations program wasn't without flaw, but he was pretty certain she was flirting with Gavin. **[[Analyzing...Julia Winston. 29 years of age. A strong, lingering smell of perfume. Current mood: Flirtatious.]]**

Gavin shifted uncomfortably, pausing for a moment before answering. "If you haven't been able to tell, I'm a little married to my job." Connor noted that Gavin was more respectful towards women, not as harsh.

"I'm not above being a homewrecker." Julia replied with a wink. "What are you doing tonight?"

Gavin gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing a few times, reminding Connor slightly of a fish. Gavin didn't know what to say. "He actually has plans with me, Julia." Connor supplied for him. They both turned to him, and even though Connor could see Gavin glaring at him in his peripheral, he kept his attention on Julia.

"Geez, don't you two get enough of each other at work?" Julia laughed. She turned to Gavin. "Next time then." She hopped off of his desk, placing her hand on Gavin's knee to 'steady' herself. Connor hid his smile. He had never seen Detective Reed so uncomfortable. She walked away, shooting one last smile over her shoulder before disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the DPD.

The moment she was out of earshot, Gavin turned on Connor. "Really, dumbass? Who is going to believe I would willingly hangout with you?"

Connor shrugged. "She seemed to believe it."

Gavin rolled his eyes and stood up. Grabbing his jacket, he said "I'm going to get some breakfast." He began to walk away, but stopped when he noticed Connor wasn't following him. He turned to look at Connor with a raised eyebrow. "Well, are you fucking coming? We have a case to discuss."

Connor remained in the car while Gavin had went into the cafe, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Gavin walking out of the place. He had sunglasses on and a bagel hanging out of his mouth that was upturned in a smile. One hand had his coffee, and the other was digging for his keys in his jacket pocket. **[[Analyzing: One everything bagel with approximately three servings of cream cheese. One caramel macchiato with extra caramel and extra whip cream.]]** Connor had no idea how Gavin managed to stay in shape with the amount of sugar his consumed.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Gavin asked, his voice a little self conscience as he climbed in the car. "You expect a doughnut because I'm a cop?" He took a giant bite out of his bagel and narrowed his eyes at Connor.

"That's entirely too much cream cheese on your bagel, and entirely too much sugar in your coffee."

"Oh shut the fuck up, dipshit. Are you fucking analyzing my food now?" Gavin growled.

Connor smiled. "It was difficult not to. I don't think I've ever seen you looked so pleased."

Gavin snorted. "I like bagels. And sometimes I like girlie coffee drinks, okay? Fucking sue me."

Tilting his head slightly in confusion, Connor replied. "I wasn't making fun of you. I just don't understand how you're still physically fit."

Gavin blushed immediately dropping eye contact, which Connor found fascinating. It seemed so unlike Gavin to get so easily flustered, and Connor had the urge to want to see him like that more. "I workout like three times a week and take Remy running every morning. Can you shut up and stop making me feel weird about my breakfast?"

Connor smirked at how Gavin's face turned redder. It was...charming. "Of course, detective. Were you able to find anything on the physical copies of the photographs from the crime scene?"

Gavin groaned in frustration, banging his head against the steering wheel dramatically. "Not shit. You haven't found anything in that computer brain of yours?"

"Unfortunately, no." Connor replied with a sigh. "Normally I can find certain clues left behind by the culprit. This murderer is thorough. I've scanned through the reports, pictures, evidence... everything. I also cannot seem to find any correlation between the cases. A friend of one of the android victims has agreed to come in for questioning tomorrow, but it doesn't seem like a promising lead."

"Fuck." Gavin cursed, putting his car into drive and pulling out of the parking lot. Gavin's phone was in the cup holder and it began to ring. "Hey, get that for me, would you?" He said. "Put it on speaker." Connor didn't comment on the fact that Gavin couldn't answer it himself because he had his coffee in one hand and his bagel in the other, and was currently driving with his knees now that they were out of the parking lot. He just did as he was told.

"Hey, Gavin, do me a favor." Chris' voice came out of the speaker.

"That is _not_ how you start a conversation, asshole." Gavin replied, speaking loudly so Chris could hear him.

"Shut up, it's for work. Where are you?"  
  
Gavin squinted at the street signs before answering. "Uhhh... at the intersection of Smith and Calvert."

"Perfect. I'm currently redirecting traffic because of a car accident, and Tina is dealing with some dumbass teenagers that were caught spray painting the side of a building. We got a call for a potential domestic violence, and everyone else is on the other side of town. We would have radioed you, but you never take a fucking squad car. Can you swing by in check it out? I know you're working on-"

"I'll check it out." Gavin interrupted. Connor glanced over at him, and laughed quietly to himself because he had cream cheese smeared on his lips. "Just send me the address."

"Are you sure? It involves a kid-"

"Jesus fucking Christ, Chris. I said I would go." Gavin yelled angrily.

Chris was quiet for a moment and then "...oh! Hey, Connor."

"Hello, Chris." Connor responded pleasantly, realizing that something had been exchanged between Gavin and Chris without words.

"I'm gonna send the address to you guys. Thanks, Gavin. You're pretty okay, sometimes." The phone line went quiet immediately after, and Connor saw where a message popped up from Chris with the address. He was pretty sure that was breaking some sort of confidentiality with the department, but many of it's employees came in late, and Gavin never wore a uniform or used a squad car. The DPD was far from perfect.

Gavin was incredibly quiet, and stuffed the remainder of his bagel in his mouth, chewing angrily. Connor licked his lips, realizing that something about the call must be bothering the detective. "If you would like to remain in the car to finish your coffee, I can handle the call." Connor offered.

Gavin wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket, grimacing when he saw cream cheese on it. "It's fine." He said quietly, grabbing a napkin from the center console and wiping his jacket clean. He took his eyes off the road far too much for Connor's liking. "I just fucking hate calls involving kids."

Connor wracked his brain for different things to say, thinking of their potential outcomes. He decided to choose a neutral response. "Children can be... difficult."

"It's not that." Gavin sighed. "I'm just not good at dealing with kids. That's on me, not them. It's not their fault I suck at that part of the job."  
  
Connor chose a reassuring approach, a little shocked Gavin was supplying so much information about himself. "You can't be perfect in all areas of your job, that would be unrealistic. You must make up for it in other areas or Fowler would have never promoted you from officer to detective."  
  
Gavin scoffed, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Connor. "Oh yeah? Says the perfect robo cop."  
  
"I still come up short at times, Detective Reed. I've failed some of my missions. I'm not as perfect as you think."  
  
"I don't know, tin can. I think you're pretty perfect. Wait... shit. That didn't... that didn't come out right." Gavin was blushing again, and it was difficult for Connor not to laugh. "Just... forget I said anything. Are we close to the address?"  
  
"It's a straight shot, just take a right on Green Vale. It should be the third house on the right. The caller is a man by the name of Jeremiah Clancy. He appears to be the neighbor and the child is with him."  
  
Gavin remained quiet the rest of the drive, just following Connor's instructions. He pulled up at the house, putting the car in park and chugging the remainder of his coffee before killing the engine. **[[Analyzing... increased heart rate. Nervous. Irritable.]]**  
  
Gavin got out of the car, his hand already pulling his badge from his belt, and Connor followed. The house was small and rundown, like many of the houses in this part of Detroit were now. Connor felt pity, knowing that androids had had quite the affect on employment and income for certain people. Gavin rapped on the door loudly, and it was almost immediately answered by an elderly man. "Jeremiah Clancy? I'm Detective Gavin Reed." He flashed his badge and replaced in one fluid, practiced movement. "This is my partner, Connor. We got a call from you?"  
  
"Yes, yes. Come in." Jeremiah said, motioning for them to enter his home.  
  
"What happened?" Gavin asked, following Jeremiah's gesture. Connor did the same and had a feeling Gavin was usually a little less blunt in these situations, but he could detect the detective's heartbeat picking up speed.  
  
Jeremiah sighed sadly, shaking his head. "I live across the street from Dea's family. A little while ago, she came running across the road, beating on my door all scared like. She... she looks bad, Detective. Her mother's boyfriend hurts her. I've tried calling in about her father a few times... nothing seems to stick." He gave Gavin a hard look, and Gavin looked a little remorseful.  
  
"Unfortunately, the system doesn't always protect children the way it should." He mumbled. "Where's the boyfriend now? Where is Dea? Do you think she'll talk to us?"  
  
"No clue where he is. He may still be over at the house, high out of his mind on Red Ice. She's in the living room. You may be able to get her to talk. CPS has tried. She's too scared of the piece of shit to talk. I'll introduce you guys, try and convince her you're not the bad guys. Good luck. Do you want anything to drink?" Gavin opened his mouth but Jeremiah continued. "I'll make tea." He led them to the living room where a little girl, about the age of seven, was sitting nervously, an old, dirty teddy bear in her arms. One of her knees was badly scraped, some blood still coming from the wound like she had recently picked at it. There was still a small smear of blood under her nose, and one of her eyes was darkening with a forming bruise. Jeremiah introduced them, assuring Dea that Gavin and Connor were nice people before disappearing to make tea. Gavin bit his lip nervously, and Connor decided it was best if he took he lead.  
  
"Hello, Dea." He said softly. "My name is Connor. Detective Reed and I are here to help you." Dea didn't respond, she just picked at a loose thread on her teddy bear. **[[Analyzing... scared. Closed off. Trust ↓]]** Connor tried a different approach. "I like your teddy bear. Does it have a name?"  
  
"S-suzy." Dea mumbled quietly, avoiding Connor's eyes. **[[Trust ↑]]**  
  
"Suzy is a really cute teddy bear. Is she okay?" Connor crouched in front of her, making himself appear smaller. He could hear Gavin shifting uncomfortably behind him, not quite pacing, but unable to stay still.  
  
Dea shook her head, pointing to where one of the bear's eyes was hanging loose. "She got hurt."  
  
"Well, I just so happen to know a teddy bear doctor, Mia. Detective Gavin and I will have to give him a call and help Suzy get better." **[[Trust ↑]]** " It looks like you got hurt too. Can you tell us what happened?"  
  
Dea hugged her teddy closer to her, finally looking up at Connor. Her soft, green eyes were terrified and blood shot, tears already welling in them again. "K-keith gets mad sometimes."  
  
"God dammit." Gavin exhaled quietly behind Connor. Dea looked just over Connor's shoulder, but Connor brought her attention back to him by readjusting the bow on her teddy bear's neck.  
  
"Is Keith your mom's boyfriend?" He asked. Dea nodded. "What happens when he gets mad?"  
  
Tears were now freely running down Dea's face. "If I tell you, he'll hurt me and mommy again."  
  
Gavin, surprisingly was the one that spoke up. "That's why we're here, Dea." He said. He approached her slowly, sitting down on the couch next to her. His voice was the softest Connor had ever heard it. "We're here to stop him from hurting you. But we need to know what happened."  
  
Dea nodded, but it took her a moment to speak again. "He locks me in the closet sometimes. When I g-get out the room is all smokey and he's really mean and acts funny. If I do s-something wrong, he hits me. If mommy tries to stop him, h-he hits her too."  
  
Connor pointed at her knee. "Did he do this?" She nodded. "Is he still in the house, Dea?"  
  
"I t-think so. He was acting funny again and I ran to Mr. Clancy's house. I don't think he knows I'm here. Mommy's at work and I d-didn't know where to go."  
  
Gavin stood up immediately. He didn't say anything, but his eyes met Connor's, and Connor nodded, standing up. "Thank you, Dea."  
  
"Are you- are you going to make Keith go away?" She asked, the words barely able to come out through her choking sobs.  
  
"Oh, he's going away alright." Gavin answered her. "Oh, and uh, we'll give that teddy bear, um doctor a call."  
  
They headed for the door, running into Jeremiah on the way. "Thank you for making tea, Mr. Clancy, but we're going to speak with Keith now. Is it the house directly across the street?"  
  
Jeremiah nodded. "The one with the blue windows."  
  
"Is it okay for Dea to stay here while we call for back up?" Gavin asked. Connor's LED was already swirling, contacting the DPD for backup.  
  
"Of course!" Jeremiah scoffed. "Just arrest the bastard."  
  
Gavin reached for his gun, nodding and going straight for the door. "Detective Reed." Connor yelled after him, following in his footsteps. Gavin was already halfway across the street. "It is advised that we try to deescalate before-"  
  
Gavin spun on him. "We need to get over there before anymore cops show up. Chris can bitch about me using my personal vehicle all her wants, but had that son of a bitch seen blue lights he would be gone." He looked like he wanted to punch Connor again, and Connor braced himself for it, but instead Gavin turned on his heel and stalked towards the house. He rapped on the door to Dea's house a few times but no one answered. "This is Detroit Police Department." He called out. "Open up." There was still no answer. "Oh _fuck this_." He snapped, raising his boot and kicking in the door. It swung on it's hinges, the house much too old to be able to withstand the force. Connor knew it was best not to try and intervene with the situation. Gavin was furious, his heart beating wildly and his jaw clenched. "This is Detective Gavin Reed. Come out with your arms up."  
  
Connor quickly surveyed and analyzed the area. The house was in deplorable conditions. There was Red Ice and a pipe on the kitchen table, and a pot was boiling over on the stove. Connor heard a sound just to their right, and Connor was barely able to yell out "Detective Reed, get down!" and grab Gavin's arm, pulling him to the side as a gun was fired, the bullet whizzing past them, grazing Gavin's arm. Connor could immediately smell blood and his LED swirled red.  
  
"Fu- HANDS UP MOTHER FUCKER!" Gavin barked, stumbling against Connor and immediately righting himself, his gun pointed in Keith's direction. Keith's eyes were unfocused and wild, a shaking hand still pointing the gun at Gavin. His trigger finger just barely moved, and Gavin didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger of his own gun with expertise aim, and Keith dropped to the ground with one shot. Gavin kept his gun aimed for a moment, waiting to see if there was any movement. When there wasn't he went to approach Keith, but Connor stopped him, grabbing him by his uninjured arm. "What the fuck are you doing?" Gavin growled.  
  
"You're injured." Connor stated, his eyes drawn to the blood pouring down the arm of Gavin's leather jacket. Gavin's adrenaline was spiking, and he looked over at his arm almost like it was the first time he noticed it.  
  
"Fuck off. It's not that bad." Gavin said, placing his hand on the wound and pulling it away, covered in blood.  
  
"You're bleeding." Connor insisted. Without thought or hesitation, he began pulling at Gavin's jacket, stripping it off.  
  
"W-what are you doing?" Gavin asked, surprisingly enough letting Connor pull the jacket off.  
  
Connor dropped the jacket to the floor and reached for the hem of Connor's shirt, attempting to pull it up and over his head. The long sleeves were too tight to push up far enough to get to the bicep injury. "You're losing a lot of blood. What's your type?"  
  
Gavin was staring at him wide eyed, trying to stop Connor from taking his shirt off. "What- you- my type? Why the fuck are you trying to take my shirt off while asking me what my type is?"  
  
Connor tilted his head in confusion before realization struck him. "Your _blood_ type, Detective Reed."  
  
Gavin blushed bright red, pulling away from Connor and holding his hand to his injured arm. "I don't need a fucking blood transfusion, dumbass. I'm fine-"  
  
Connor sighed. Gavin was _insufferable_ , and Connor wondered if this was the same frustration he always felt towards him. It was exhausting. "The paramedics are on the way, I've already contacted them. In the meantime, we need to stop the bleeding."  
  
Gavin stared at him like he was weighing the pros and cons of the situation before muttering a "Fuck it." and grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head in one swift movement.  
  
Connor's eyes should have been immediately drawn to his right arm, the one with the wound. Instead, they were immediately drawn to his left arm, the entire arm covered from shoulder to wrist in tattoos. Connor noticed the canvas of black, grey, and even some sepia tones for a split second before redirecting his attention to the bullet wound. It had missed anything major and mostly just grazed Gavin's bicep, but there was blood everywhere. Connor reached for his tie, undoing it quickly. He took the tie and wrapped it around Gavin's bicep twice before tying it tightly in place, and the whole time Gavin just stared at him. He wasn't glaring, wasn't leering, just staring. "That should suffice until the paramedics arrive."  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes, already pulling his shirt back on. "Jesus fucking Christ, Connor. You act like he blew my arm off."  
  
Connor froze. Gavin said his name. Not an insult. Not a disrespectful nickname. His _name_. "You said my name."  
  
Gavin was turning red again, grabbing his jacket off the floor. "Yeah? Well it _is_ your name, ain't it?"  
  
Connor smirked, feeling.. pleased? Amused? Both? "Does that mean I can call you Gavin?"  
  
Gavin stared at him again, searching his face, his cheeks still an uncharacteristic shade of red. "Don't fucking push it, tin can." He muttered as sirens approached and blue lights flashed on the street and through the window.  
  
  
  
  
Connor had just finished filling in the other officers about what happened and was looking for Gavin. He found him on the by his car, leaning against the hood smoking a cigarette. His shirt and jacket were off again and lying on the hood, and his arm freshly bandaged by the paramedics that had arrived. Connor's eyes were once again drawn to the full sleeve of tattoos, and he wanted to ask about them. He couldn't see all of the artwork that wrapped around Gavin's arm, but he could tell it was all done professionally, painstaking hours poured into immaculately done work. "Why did you get tattoos only to cover them?" He finally asked, unable to avoid his curiosity.  
  
"So assholes like you won't ask me about them." Gavin said, blowing smoke in Connor's face just to spite him. Connor had a sarcastic reply in mind but Gavin kept talking. "I would give you your tie back. But it's kind of soaked in my blood."  
  
"I'm sure I can get another one." Connor assured him, also leaning back against the hood of Gavin's car. It was the closest they had ever stood to either excluding the time at the bar, and it was odd being so close to Gavin. He didn't slyly put distance between them like he had with Julia.  
  
"So, uh, thanks." Gavin finally said after a few moments of silence. "For pulling me out of the way of the bullet. The EMT said it could have been a hell of a lot worse." He finished his cigarette, and flicked the butt before grabbing his long sleeve shirt and pulling it back on. The right arm of the shirt was stained in a deep red. "Fowler called. Told us to take the rest of the day off as long as we did our incident reports first thing tomorrow. He said this was enough excitement for one day and he was sick of people getting hurt on the job." Gavin chuckled. " _Then_ he made sure I was okay."  
  
"Are you? Okay?" Connor asked, searching Gavin's face for the answer.  
  
Gavin laughed. "It just grazed me. I'll be fine. Jesus, you worry too much." He looked over at Connor and looked almost fond until he realized what he was doing and frowned.  
  
"Not just with that. With everything. You already had a disdain for cases involving children, and now a man is dead by your hands." Connor hoped the response didn't have a negative reaction.  
  
Gavin looked down at the ground. "The asshole fucking deserved it. Even before he shot me. But especially after he shot me." He paused. "Good job with the kid earlier. I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that I would have gotten anything out of her. It just sucks, you know? Her mom is apparently MIA, and even if they do find her, I doubt she'll be able to keep custody of her. And the system is kind of fucked. Sure, the asshole boyfriend is out of the picture. But that kid still has a long, hard road out of hell."  
  
Connor thought for a moment. "Perhaps we should buy her a new bear."  
  
Gavin turned to him again, his grey eyes softer than Connor had ever seen them. Gavin must have known too, because analysis let Connor know he was uncomfortable. So Connor chose to attempt to lighten the mood. "I think you're going to have to get a new jacket."  
  
Gavin scowled and mocked him. "'I tHiNk yOu'Re gOiNg tO hAvE tO gEt a NeW jAcKeT.' Get in the fucking car, asshole." Gavin said, shoving him. Connor smiled and made his way to the passenger side door, because there was no real heat in the push.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *****Trigger Warning: Description of child abuse in the form of neglect, and physical. emotional and/or mental abuse from a parent. (The physical abuse is NOT of a sexual nature)*****
> 
> So I noticed comments about people hating Michael, and to stop myself from making a Star Wars reference about letting the hate flow, I figured I would give you guys some fun facts about our lovely Gavin's not-quite-ex. I always tell myself that I'm going to be one of those writers that completes a fic, and then posts the chapters on weekly basis, all formal and cute and organized... but much like Gavin, I am an absolute human disaster and have accepted that I will never be that kind of writer. I don't even feel like _I'm_ the one ever writing, I've always said "my fics just write themselves." I don't plan anything out. An idea hits me, and boom! there's another chapter. So, when it comes to Michael, he was just supposed to be in the first scene he's in, and that was it. He was supposed to be an absolute one and done, never to be seen again. He was only supposed to exist for the sake of allowing Connor to know that Gavin is gay without Gavin having to be the one to tell him, and also expose him as this sort of no strings attached playboy, which is why the description of him was initially so vague. Blond hair just so that it would be the opposite of Connor's dark hair. But this fic had other ideas in mind, and here we are, with Michael being this troublesome ass of a reoccurring character. I originally had no one in mind for his character visually. But the more I wrote him, the more I was thinking of [Miles McMillan](https://models.com/models/miles-mcmillan) (hopefully that click through works) with blond hair. How that happened, I have no earthly idea. Just like Remy was supposed to be just an afterthought showing that Gavin isn't a _total_ asshole, and yet here she is being an absolute staple in Gavin's life. I can't exactly complain, original characters are fun to write... even if one of them is a dog. Long story short, that's what I invision Michael to look like, and I'm loving that you guys have developed an emotional reaction to both him and Remy when they originally weren't supposed to mean so much. Writing them both has been so much fun. Writing this fic in general has been so much fun, and it means a lot to me because about a month ago I hit a really rough patch in my life. I've always used writing as an outlet,and I couldn't remember the last time I had actually enjoyed writing up until I started throwing myself at this fic. I literally thought I had "grown out of writing", for lack of better term. I've fallen in love with writing all over again because of this fic. So, when I thank you guys for your kudos, comments, and encouragement, I wholeheartedly mean it. <3 (This was just supposed to be about Michael, I don't know how I ended up getting so sappy. Word vomit? Yeah, let's go with that.)
> 
> All road names and information about the DPD are completely made up. I don't know shit about Detroit. Whoops. I also haaate naming characters so I always literally use the first name that pops in my head. I'm not kidding. It's like a put my brain on a randomizer and just ~go with it~. And yes, I could not stop myself from giving Gavin a full sleeve, because you can't convince me that the rat man doesn't have tattoos. I won't accept it. There will be more on that later. *Slams fists on table* GAVIN MADE PROGRESS. RIP to his jacket though. Or IS his jacket dead? Hmm.  
> Sorry for ridiculously long notes this chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin Reed just had a lot of displaced emotions, okay?

Gavin's arm was throbbing. It wasn't unbearable, he had definitely experienced far worse, but it was annoying that even the slightest movement while driving reminded him that he got _shot_. He had been shot _at_ before, but it was usually a perp just trying to give themselves a getaway window more than the intent to kill, and it was a... weird feeling. What was even weirder was dealing with the fact that the paramedics had told him that he easily could have been killed had Connor not had split-second reaction time to pull him out of the way. Had that been a programming thing? Like Connor saved him specifically because he was his partner, and it was his mission or whatever? Or had Connor done it because he sincerely didn't want Gavin to get hurt? Gavin wasn't sure he would have done the same. Hell, he wasn't even sure his reaction time would have been quick enough. He guessed that was at least one perk of having an android partner. Maybe Hank wasn't a total dumbass after all. Not to mention he had to shoot and kill that asshole... he wasn't sure if he had fully processed that yet. He had never killed anyone. Shit, he had never even hit an animal with his car. He literally almost caused an accident because he slammed on the breaks for a squirrel just the other week.

Gavin knew he was being too quiet, being too stuck inside his head. It wasn't uncommon in the few times he and Connor had been in the car together, but he at least generally had music playing. He hadn't even bothered turning up the volume when his Bluetooth on his phone connected. Connor must have picked up that he was lost in thought, because he finally spoke. "How's your arm, detective?"

"Sore." He muttered. "But fine. Just the same as when you asked me before we got in the car." He sent the android an annoyed glance. "How does Hank put up with your mother-henning?"

Connor smiled. "Reluctantly. He puts up with it reluctantly. He's told me so." Connor thought for a moment, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. Weird. The idiot picked up on more human traits everyday. "I feel like as your partner it's important for me to ensure that you're okay, and you don't seem to be the type to admit when you're not."

Gavin sighed. "Let me ask you something, robocop. Had that happened back there, and I wasn't your partner, would you have still tried to save me?"

"Of course." Connor replied immediately. He was looking at Gavin as if the question had been stupid, as if it wasn't normal to consider that an android would just let someone get shot. How the fuck was Gavin supposed to know what ran through their database?

He tightened the grip of his good hand on the steering wheel. "Just like that? Even with our, uh, past?"

"You mean even after how you've treated me in the past?" Connor quirked an eyebrow. The little shit's smile was teasing.

Gavin scowled. "Yeah, we're done talking about this." He snapped.

"Have you ever had to kill someone before?" Connor asked. His eyes were drawn to the blood stain on Gavin's shirt as he said, and Gavin almost wanted to laugh. The asshole was _sincerely_ worried about him, for whatever fucking reason. Gavin couldn't help but think about how Connor had immediately wanted to tend to his wound. How his deft fingers had trailed over Gavin's skin, and how they felt. He had never put much thought into it, but he expected Connor to _actually_ feel like plastic, or rubber, or _something_ synthetic, but it Connor's skin felt _real_.

Clearly his throat, Gavin muttered a soft "No. But it's fine, dipshit. He had it coming. The dude was a child abuser and he was trying to kill me."

"That doesn't make it any less emotionally taxing."

"Yeah? What would you know about that?" Gavin snarled. Why did Connor _insist_ on talking about things? Even Tina knew when he to drop a conversion.

Connor suddenly looked distant, like he was remembering something sad. He unclasped his hands in his lap and rubbed his palms against his slacks, watching his hands nervously. "When Hank and I were investigating the deviancy cases, we tracked down Elijah Kamski. He asked me to kill one of his androids. It was a test. He wanted to see if his creations could experience empathy. I...I couldn't do it. I couldn''t kill Chloe. I knew how I would feel to have life snatched from me, and I couldn't do it to her. I've connected to other androids before, as they were dying. It was terrifying. I was scared." He looked up at Gavin. "Taking a life isn't easy. Especially when the person is innocent. But that doesn't make it any less difficult when you feel as though they deserve it."

"You... get scared?" Gavin prodded, a little amazed. Was their no end to their emotional range? Jesus Christ Kamski had too much time on his hands when he made androids. The dude probably never got laid in high school.

"I experience a wide range of emotions, Detective Reed. Much like you. I don't think it was always Elijah Kamski's intention for androids to do so, but he designed us to perfectly mimic humans, depending on our model. Human's are emotional beings." He was watching Gavin carefully, and Gavin realized it was because Connor walked on eggshells with him. He was gauging Gavin's reaction to see if he had said the wrong thing.

"Well, I'll be damned." Gavin laughed, a little coldly. It was like this was some sort of sick joke. "It sucks, I guess. I mean I'm going to have to do a shit ton of paper work pertaining to the incident report. I'll probably have to do some sort of shitty deescalation training, and I'll be interviewed to make sure I did it as a last resort."

"I can assure anyone that asks that in that situation, for both our safety, you did what you had to." Connor interjected.

"Thanks." Gavin muttered. "I'm just glad that was the case, you know? That I'm not some trigger happy asshole cop that shot someone because I can't do my fucking job right."

"The 'asshole' part is still up for debate." Connor smirked.

Gavin surprised himself by laughing. "Oh, really? And you haven't even seen my bad side yet. You're gonna run for the hills, tin can."

"We'll see about that." Connor chuckled, and Gavin tried to wipe to dumb smile off his face. Jesus, Ken Doll had a sense of humor. "I know after particularly difficult cases, Hank always needed to decompress. Do you have ways that you decompress?"

"What are you, my fucking emotional support robot now?" Gavin said with an eye roll. Connor gave him an unimpressed look. Gavin shrugged. "I mean, I guess? I just planned to go home and go over these fucking murder cases again." Connor frowned and Gavin laughed. He couldn't believe they gave him this dumb, unimpressed bitch face, and that he was on the receiving end of it. "So, I guess you're expecting me to go home and 'relax'? Not exactly my thing."

"There must be something you do for fun. I understand that you often submerge yourself in your work, but you have to have hobbies." Connor was looking at him like he wanted to slap him, and it made him laugh again.

"Uhhh, does taking Remy for a walk count?" Gavin smirked and wondered at what point they had started a fucking _banter_.

"Barely." Connor rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay. I used to play guitar a little bit. I haven't done it in a long time. I've been working a lot, and throwing myself at that, and then I met Michael." He pantomimed barfing, and it made Connor laugh. Gavin ignored how it actually felt _good_ to be the cause of that laugh. "Uh, I guess I play video games from time to time."

"Oh. That must be... fun?" Connor offered.  
  


Gavin whipped his head to look at Connor so fast that he swerved in their lane a little. "Have you never played video games before?"

"I can't say I've ever had the opportunity." 

"Jesus Christ. What did you do before you moved in with Hank? Like when you weren't at work?" 

"I went back to CyberLife and put myself in sleep mode until my next shift." 

Gavin frowned. That was kind of... sad. "What, like they plugged you into a wall and you just chilled there until you were fully charged?" 

"I'm not a _cellphone_ , Detective Reed-" Connor then realized Gavin was joking, and it earned Gavin another bitch face, causing him to grin. And for some reason, because Gavin was a fucking idiot, it made him wink too. He noticed the light dusting of blue spread across Connor's cheeks, and felt slightly accomplished. Okay, so maybe _this_ was a little bit more fun than just insulting the guy all the time. "Free time is still a relatively new concept to me." Connor added. 

"Okay, well, you have to play video games. You basically kinda are one. It's like some sort of freaky Inception thing." Gavin saw Connor's LED swirl and somehow just knew he was probably searching to meaning of the reference. "If you haven't played video games, I gotta change that." 

"How do you propose we do that, Detective?" 

Gavin winked again. Oh god, why was he fucking doing that so much? "Well you told Julia that we were hanging out tonight. We can't have the department's good boy android lying, can we? Let's go back to my place." 

****

****

****

Gavin was a fucking idiot. Why had he suggested they go back to his place? It's not like they were friends. And hell, Chris and Tina had only been over a handful of times. It's not that he had a problem with them coming over, he just liked his privacy. His home was supposed to be the place that he could go to and escape and just be by himself, no one asking him questions or trying to get to know him, and that's all Connor seemed to want to do. And to make matters worse, as Gavin was driving there, he started to feel more and more awkward about the whole thing, which led him to stopping at the ABC to get some whiskey to calm his nerves (Why the fuck was he _nervous_?), which led to him noticing a bottle of that gross ass looking robo alcohol and buying a bottle of that too. But wasn't it polite to offer your guest a drink? And it's not like he had the shit just lying around somewhere.

He shoved the bag with the whiskey and android alcohol in Connor's lap when he got in the car, wincing at the pain that shot up his arm. "Tell your little boyfriend Markus that he needs to work on lowering the prices of his little cyber drink." He started up the car again, avoiding Connor's eyes. "You're an expensive date."

Connor opened the bag just enough to see the bright blue liquid sloshing in it's clear glass bottle and he made a disgusted face. "Markus isn't my boyfriend. He's Simon's." He replied simply, still eyeing the bottle. Gavin stared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes and pulling out of the parking lot. So... androids weren't all straight. "I'm not so sure I want to drink again." Connor shuddered and Gavin smiled. Oh, to remember his first hangover...

"You don't have to drink it, but I wanted to drink because my damn arm hurts, and I didn't have anything for you to drink. You went way too hard your first time drinking. When you start to feel good, like you're all relaxed and problems don't really matter as much anymore, that's when you're supposed to stop." Gavin muttered, wishing he could rip open his own bottle in the car.

"Like you do." Connor commented, looking up at him. "You didn't drink nearly as much as Chris, Tina, and I."

Gavin laughed. "Yeah, I got that shit down to a science. I don't like being drunk. Just... drunk enough."

"Have you ever been drunk?"

Gavin sighed. Back to asking questions about him. Connor never seemed to stop. "Yeah, plenty of times when I was younger. But I've seen way too many people who don't know how to stop. They're not drinking to get drunk anymore, they're drinking to..."

"Cope." Connor muttered. "Like Hank was."

"Yeah." Gavin replied. "Listen, Anderson isn't really _that_ bad." He added. "I know he probably thinks I hate him, most people think I hate them. The guy just got out of control. When I first joined the force I kinda looked up to him." He turned to glare at Connor. "Don't ever fucking tell him I said that."

Connor laughed. "Why not? He would be flattered, I think. He's doing much better now. It's been months since he drank. He thought it was funny that I had a hangover and 'played hooky' because of it."

Gavin tightened and loosened his grip on he steering wheel uncomfortably. "Does he know you stayed at my house? I'm sure he had a field day over that."

"No." Connor adjusted the bag in his lap and looked out the window. "He just knows I stayed with a friend."

"We're not _friends_ , dumbass." Gavin scoffed. "We're coworkers."

Connor shot him an annoyed look. "And yet we're going back to your place to hangout, _Gavin_."

"Oh shut the fuck up." Gavin snapped nervously, but Connor was smiling at him.

Remy pounced on Connor the moment Gavin opened the door. The fucking traitor completely ignored him in favor of the Ken Doll, and Gavin rolled his eyes. Connor's face immediately lit up, and he crouched down to greet her, sitting the bottles on the floor. Gavin scooped them up and closed the door behind them, heading for the kitchen and ignoring them both. On the way he tossed his damaged leather jacket in the trash sadly. He had had the damn thing since he started working for the DPD, he was sad to see it go. He set the bottles down on the kitchen table and made a beeline for his room to change his shirt. The motion to remove his shirt fucking _hurt_ and he cursed under his breath, digging in his closet for another one. He sighed and just pulled out a blue v neck. No point in trying to cover up the tattoos now. Connor already knew about them. He hated people asking questions about them. It's not like they meant anything personal, it was just artwork (really expensive, well done artwork) to him, but every single time the tattoos had ever peaked out from underneath a shirt, he had to deal with people asking about them. Since Connor existed for the sole purpose to annoy the hell out of him, he might as well get it out of the way while he was drinking a little whiskey and was in a relatively good mood. He eyed the acoustic guitar propped against his wall on the way out of his bedroom. It really had been a long time since he had played. He missed it. Michael had always begged him to play and he had refused. He wasn't going to _serenade_ the dude he was fucking. Life wasn't a romcom, and Gavin hated those anyway.

When he got back to the kitchen, he snorted out a laugh. Connor was holding Remy in his arms bridal style, and her tail was wagging at full speed, a smile on her chunky face. She was just _loving_ it. "What's your deal with dogs?" Gavin asked, opening up the cabinet to pull out two whiskey glasses.

"What do you mean?" Connor asked, looking down at Remy like she was his fucking newborn baby or something.

"I've heard Hank make jokes about how you like his dog better than you like him. And I come in here to see you looking at Remy like she's your whole world. You're obviously a dog guy." Gavin replied, pouring their drinks.

"Oh." Connor said simply, sitting Remy down. She looked up at him and whined sadly. _Traitor_. "Dogs are... trusting. It doesn't matter that you're human or android, it doesn't matter what your race, or sexual orientation, or religious beliefs are. They judge you on your character." He looked down at Remy, his eyebrows pulled together in thought, his head slightly tilted. "I'm still not quite sure how they do that."

Gavin was staring at Connor, and had to catch himself so that he didn't overflow his glass. It made.... sense. Connor had probably dealt with assholes more times than Gavin could count. Hell, when he was in high school people were STILL giving him shit for being gay, despite all the leaps and bounds that had been made to benefit the LGBT+ community. Connor just liked the simplicity of how animals didn't judge anyone for that, and Gavin could relate to that. He suddenly felt incredibly guilty. He had his reasons for hating androids, but the one standing in front of him hadn't done anything to merit that. He had only ever been doing his job, and Gavin had made it his sole purpose to make that as hard as he possibly could. "That makes sense." He replied softly. "Remy has never given a shit about anything other than how nice people are to her. Michael yelled at her when he first met her. I guess it spooked him that she was a pitbull. When she ran up to the door to greet me, he got scared and raised his voice. She doesn't like loud noises. They make her nervous. She hasn't liked him since." Connor reached for the dog treats jar on the counter, taking one out and giving it to Remy. Gavin wanted to make a comment about him making himself at home, but seeing how delighted Remy was stopped him.

"That must be a bit awkward for the three of you when he comes over. You clearly love your dog, and if she doesn't like him..."

"She mostly just hides." Gavin laughed. "I don't blame her. She doesn't have to worry about it anymore though. I, uh... I broke things off with Michael." Ugh, why in the fuck was he telling robocop that? "The way he acted at the bar was immature as hell, and I had been wanting to anyway. So, yeah. Remy doesn't have to hide anymore." Remy was still looking up at Connor expectantly, her tail still wagging furiously. Gavin snorted. "She isn't hiding from you any time soon."

Connor smiled down at her and rubbed her head. "If I can win your dog over this quickly, I wonder how long it'll take to win you over." He replied softly.

Gavin felt his face heat up. He was _not_ blushing. He _wasn't_. "Wh-what?"

"I think it's been at least a few hours since you've insulted me. A new personal best, Detective Reed." Connor said, looking up at him.

"...oh!" Gavin relaxed. He had to stop jumping to conclusions about what Connor meant. He just _said_ things. That was his whole thing. "Yeah, whatever, dipshit." He offered Connor's glass to him, but right as Connor was about to grab it, he pulled it back. "Take it easy, okay?"

"Of course." Connor said with a smile, his eyes scanning Gavin's tattooed arm as he took the glass.

Gavin sighed. "No, they don't have any significant meaning. Yes, they were all done by the same artist. No, I don't knowing exactly how many there are because I don't know if the shading that connects them all counts. Yes, they hurt but obviously not enough to make me stop getting them. Anymore questions?" He spilled robotically, knocking out the same questions everyone else always asked.

"Can I look at them?" Connor didn't wait for Gavin to reply, instead he set his glass down on the kitchen counter and grabbed Gavin's arm.

Gavin flinched a little, once again taken off guard about how the skin on Connor's hands and fingers felt _real_. Why was his kitchen suddenly so hot? He wasn't even wearing his jacket for once. Connor was gently maneuvering Gavin's arm to look at all the different tattoos, almost distracting him from how bad the other arm was still hurting. Gavin quickly raised his own glass to his lips, downing the entire drink in one go. Connor took special interest in massive the angel, clock, and skull tattoos, some of the biggest pieces on his arm. When he turned to flip Gavin's arm over, he noticed that the inner wrist was bare. "I never really planned the sleeve out." Gavin muttered. "So, now I have to find something small enough to fit there." Connor's LED swirled, processing the data, and Gavin jerked his arm out of the android's hands. "C'mon. I have to kick your ass at video games."

"Oh, get fucked." Gavin growled, tossing his PlayStation controller on the couch. Connor beat him _again_ , and he was pretty sure it was some cheating android bullshit. Connor just reached for his glass and finished it off. It was his third one. Gavin was cutting him off, ignoring the fact that he was on his fourth. Remy was lying on the couch cushion between them happily. Gavin reached over and scratched her back. It was the most content he had ever seen her, but it was also the first time she had sat between two people that kept periodically reaching over to give her love.

"Weren't you supposed to beat me?" Connor asked with a smirk, politely sitting his controller down on the coffee table.

"And weren't you supposed to be a newb, _Connor_?" If Connor could say his name mockingly, he could too. He leaned over so that he was cuddling Remy. He was a little tipsy, and it had taken the edge off of his arm hurting so much.

He suddenly felt Connor hands on his arm. "You're bleeding through your dressing." Connor said, smoothing his thumb over the spot of blood trying to blossom through the bandaging. Gavin froze, half expecting the weirdo to stick the finger in his mouth. Which was probably the wrong thought process to have, because that made his eyes dart to Connor's lips, just barely parted as he looked at Gavin's arm. "You should change it." Connor stood up. "Do you have a first aid kit?"

Gavin sat up and streatched, winching at the pain that radiated through his arm. The motion caused his shirt to ride up and he smirked at how Connor's eyes darted to his exposed skin momentarily. Gavin knew he wasn't a bad looking guy. The few times Tina had managed to drag him to a club, men and women alike both threw themselves at him. But it was interesting to see that he had that affect on an android too. "Yeah. It's in the bathroom. I'll just change it when you leave-" He couldn't finish the sentence because Connor was already walking down the hallway. Gavin shot up. "Wait, asshole, you don't even know which room-" Annnnd of course, Connor ended up in his bedroom instead of his bathroom. Connor's eyes scanned the room, his LED swirling, and Gavin suddenly felt self conscience. His room wasn't much. Mostly just his bed (oh god, his incredible bed. He couldn't wait to crawl into it), a dresser, two nightstands and his flat screen. There were also some posters here and there on the wall, mostly musicians. Gavin didn't understand why he was feeling so awkward, but bedrooms were _intimate_. Tina was the only other person that had been in his room other than his hookups, and that was just because she was looking for the bathroom too.

"I'm sorry." Connor apologized. "This is your room."

"Yeah, no shit." Gavin said, brushing past him and dramatically flinging himself on the bed. "I'll just fix my arm when you leave." He grabbed his pillow and pulled it close to him, snuggling his head into. Okay, he was a little more drunk than he wanted to tell himself, but he was still a long ways off from being were Connor had been at the bar. He felt pressure shift on the bed were Remy jumped up and sighed, rolling over. "Rems, you know you're not allowed on the bed. The leather recliner and the bed are no-no zones." He heard Connor snicker but ignored it in favor of giving his sweet dog belly rubs. When he looked up, Connor was gone but he just shrugged and let his head flop back on the bed. He heard Connor's footsteps (knowing it was for his benefit, the fucker was quieter than a ghost), and Connor appeared holding the first aid kit. "Down, Remy." Gavin ordered, sitting up and looking at Connor. "You don't listen, do you?"

"I _did_ make you a cup of coffee that one time in the break room." Connor said, sitting down next to him and opening the kit.

Gavin smirked. He wondered why people didn't always just get _this_ drunk, on the _perfect_ side of wasted. He was feeling great, and apparently a little flirty, because the words slid out of his mouth on their own accord. "Yeah, you did, didn't you?" He glanced down at his bed. "Where else are you good at taking orders?"

"Generally, just the DPD." Connor replied to his relief, the reference going completely over the android's head. Fuck, Gavin needed to stop. But _Jesus Christ_ was Connor good looking. His (Soft, _soft_ ) pale skin with it's delicately placed beauty marks, perfectly styled hair, soft Bambi eyes- Connor looked up at him and that's when Gavin realized he was staring. He blushed and looked down, distracting himself by looking over at Remy who he knew was considering jumping back up on the bed.

Connor pushed up Gavin's sleeve and redressed his wound with skilled hands, quickly and efficiently with just the right amount of pressure. "Why are you doing this?" Gavin asked softly. "Why are you helping me? Why are you so nice to me? I've been nothing but a raging fucking prick to you. I don't deserve this." And oh god it sounded so sappy and whiny, but it was honestly driving Gavin crazy that Connor was so genuinely _sweet_ and he didn't deserve it at all.

"I'm your partner." Connor replied simply. "And many people are unkind to androids in the beginning. Hank was as well. But Hank had his reasons, and I'm sure you do too. Bad behavior doesn't always mean someone is a bad person." His hand was still on Gavin's arm, and he was sitting so close that Gavin wanted to squirm. "Can I ask you something?" Connor didn't wait for him to reply. "How did you get this scar?" He took his hand off of Gavin's bicep to softly smooth his thumb over the scar on Gavin's nose, and a shiver went up Gavin's spine.

"That's a story for another time, tin can." He replied softly, unable to look away from Connor's soft brown eyes. Oh boy. Oh no. Alcohol made him dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

:I see." Connor said, standing up and leaving Gavin feeling a little dizzy. "I'm sure that's a personal story. Get some sleep, Gavin. We have to interview someone for our case tomorrow, and as much as you warned me not to over drink, you picked up my slack." He smiled and left Gavin's room, replacing the first aid kit in the bathroom. Gavin dramatically flopped himself on his bed again, running his fingers through his hair in frustration and ignoring Remy jumping back up on the bed. Connor wasn't _that_ bad, he guessed.

He closed his eyes as Remy snuggled into him. There was no way for him to know that Connor had seen his jacket in the trashcan on the way out, and took it with a plan in mind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unfortunately verrrry short, but it needs to be so that I can flip back over to Gavin's POV because he's got some 'splaining to do in the next chapter. We're going to get a little more insight on why he is the way he is (at least why he's being that way now).

Connor attempted to keep his mind blank during the taxi ride home. It was difficult. His LED kept a steady rotation of yellow to blue, and then back again. He understood that Gavin had been intoxicated, but it was mind-boggling to see a softer side of him regardless. Even when he was hurling insults at Connor, there was no heat behind him, and 'tin can' had started to sound more like a nickname than a slur. Connor knew he was a forgiving android. He wasn't sure if that was a part of his programming, something he had been taught, or something he had chosen. He supposed it could be all three. Forgiving beings were generally received better by humans, Markus had forgiven him without hesitation once he had become a deviant, and Connor _wanted_ to be forgiving. He had seen the growth in people. He had seen a massive growth in Hank. Was it really so ridiculous to think that perhaps Gavin could change too?

As soon as he got home, a series of things happened very rapidly. Immediately upon entering the door, Hank perked up from his spot on the couch and asked why he was home so late, and hadn't called. His voice was laced with worry despite how hard he was fighting to keep his tone neutral. If that hadn't been a dead giveaway, his concerned expression would have been. Since Fowler had dismissed the two detectives early, Connor hadn't even considered that he might get home late. Time must have slipped from him. Before Connor could even reply, approximately ten seconds into his rant about how Connor needed to learn how to 'send a fucking text' if he was going to be late, Hank noticed that Connor's tie was missing and he looked completely disheveled. The lieutenant's expression immediately changed to an accusing, teasing smirk. "So, _that's_ why you're late, son? Jesus Christ-" then, Hank noticed the dark, red blood on Connor's shirt.

Truth be told, Connor hadn't even realized just a little bit of Gavin's blood had gotten on him. It made sense, he had helped care for Gavin's wound twice in the past few hours. Connor analyzed the situation. **[[Hank: Confused. Concerned. Stress levels quickly rising.]]** "There was an incident at work today." Connor said simply, gauging just how honest he should be with Hank for optimal results in the situation.

"I can fucking see that. Whose blood is that?"

"Detective Reed's. There was a call in for a case involving child abuse and Detective Reed and I were closest to the scene. The suspect opened fire when he was approached, and Detective Reed was injured." Connor replied, the urge to fiddle with his coin making his fingers itch.

"Are _you_ okay?" Hank responded immediately.

"I'm fine, Hank." Connor kept his tone light and pleasant.

Hank laughed bitterly. "I guess that asshole finally got what was coming to him, huh? Is he gonna be outta work for awhile?"

Connor felt a frown tug at his lips, and had to remind himself that Hank had only seen the abrasive, irrational, and impulsive side of Gavin. He hadn't seen how kind the detective was too his rescue dog, or how he had slowly been treating Connor less like a machine and more like his partner. "He received medical attention and was cleared to go back to work, I believe. The bullet just barely came in contact with his bicep."

Relaxing into the couch more, Hank huffed. "How's working with that prick? I don't need to talk to Fowler do I? Or better yet, beat Reed's ass-"

"Working with him has made me realize that maybe your eating habits aren't as bad as I once thought." Connor interrupted, a redirection. "His diet consists almost entirely of sugar, caffeine, and nicotine."

Hank snorted. "As long as he's not giving you shit. Maybe Fowler talked some sense into him."

 _Or maybe he's different._ Connor thought. He pushed the thoughts out of his head. He knew that was not something Hank wanted to hear, and couldn't imagine any positive outcomes coming from lingering on the topic. Instead, he suggested Hank come outside with him to check on their tomato plants. He was spending far too much time on the couch, and Connor was just relieved that he hadn't noticed Gavin's leather jacket in his hand.

Connor entered the Detroit Police Department the following day in high hopes. While interviewing a friend of one of the victims **[[Troy Chambers. 34 years old. Friend of the second android victim that went by the name of Tyler.]]** didn't seem promising, Connor had full trust in his and Gavin's ability to get _something_ out of the interview that could help. Their case seemed to be at a standstill, and he was just glad there hadn't been any new victims added to the list.

Making his way to his new temporary desk next to Gavin's, Connor stopped in front of the breakroom momentarily and debated on providing the detective with a cup of coffee. He decided against it. He didn't want to appear as though he was being nice because he had ulterior motives, and had quickly learned that when Gavin felt like someone was being _too_ nice, it made him suspicious. He greeted Chris on the way to Gavin's desk as they passed one another, and Chris patted him on the back and praised him for 'saving Gavin's ass'.  
  
Connor didn't expect to find Gavin at his desk. It was early, even for Connor, but he had left home earlier than he normally had in order to drop Gavin's jacket off at a leather repair shop on the way to work. As often as Gavin wore it, Connor felt like there was an attachment to the jacket, and maybe he could see more of Gavin's kinder side if he had it back. Despite expecting Gavin's desk to be empty, Gavin was hunched over his keyboard. Connor was able to immediately pick up on the stiffness in his shoulders, the tenseness in the way he was sitting. Gaving was sporting a worn, soft hoodie with an indie band's logo on it, and old jeans that had a hole in one knee. His hair was uncombed and messy. His desk was littered with paperwork, empty paper coffee cups, pictures from the crime scenes, and crushed Red Bull cans. If the caffeine graveyard didn't prove that he hadn't slept, the dark circles under his eyes did.  
  
"Good morning, Detective Reed." Connor greeted cautiously, keeping his voice somewhere between friendly, and not _too_ friendly.  
  
"Fuck off, prick." Gavin grumbled bitterly.  
  
Connor froze for a moment. The same bite, same coldness was back in Gavin's voice, as if yesterday had never happened. Connor was unsure of why that made him feel so incredibly disappointed. Sad, almost. Gavin pointedly avoided his eyes when he sat down, and Connor knew it was intentional because even though the detective was staring at his computer screen, his eyes were frozen in place and unfocused. "How's your arm?" Connor tried.  
  
"How do you think it is?" Gavin snapped. He looked up at Connor for a split second before immediately looking back at his screen. "It fucking hurts, and Fowler has already been riding my ass this morning about how I'm never in dress code." He gestured vaguely to his outfit. "Apparently this is a new low even for me."  
  
Something was wrong, and Connor knew it. Gavin was more irritable than he normally was, and Fowler had a point. While Gavin stubbornly refused to be in any sort of uniform, at least his clothes were normally wrinkle free, the jeans a dark finish and new looking. He looked almost like he had just crawled out of bed. Connor knew better than to ask him what was wrong. "I think it's a nice look on you." Connor offered. "You look... comfortable." Connor was hoping that the compliment would knock some of Gavin's guard down, even make him blush. When Gavin was flustered it was charming; it was so unlike his normal cockiness and carefree facade.  
  
Instead, Gavin just scowled at him. "Stop flirting and get to work, dipshit."  
  
"I wasn't flirt-" Connor wasn't able to finish the sentence because Gavin stood up and stalked off to the breakroom, and empty coffee cup in his hand.  
  
  
  
Interviewing Troy Chambers was a bust, which only soured Gavin's mood further. He was hurling insults Connor's way at any given moment, had already shoved Connor out of the way twice, had snapped at Julia when she stopped by to flirt, and had even flipped Tina off when she asked what had 'crawled up his ass'. It was frustrating to say the least, and even though Hank often compared Connor's patience to that of a saint, Connor was getting irritated with the detective's behavior, especially since he was on the receiving end of it. So, when Gavin got up to get yet another cup of coffee **[[Over caffeinated. Pulse too high.]]** , Connor followed him into the break room after insuring it was empty.  
  
Gavin immediately noticed, his grip on the coffee pot handle so tight that his knuckles were white. "Anderson might find it cute that you follow him around like a puppy, but I'm telling you to fuck off." He growled.  
  
"Are you okay?" Connor asked softly. None of his results for the conversation were coming out positively, but he still wanted to try.  
  
Gavin spun around, sitting his coffee cup on the counter and laughing coldly. "Am I okay? Well let's see here, I had to kill a guy, got fucking shot, the case I'm working on is looking a hell of a lot like it's going cold, and my partner is a fucking dumbass robot. Oh yeah. I'm doing _great_."  
  
"When was the last time you slept?"  
  
"Does it fucking matter?? Stop acting like you give a damn. Just focus on the fucking case." He grabbed his coffee and shoulder checked Connor on the way out of the breakroom, leaving Connor just as confused as he had been all day.  
  
Connor had been sitting back at his desk for exactly 8 minutes and 37 seconds when he spoke. "None of the victims were part of the anti-android movement." He said it mostly to himself, but Gavin glared up from his computer screen anyway.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I just made this connection. It could be coincidental, but all the victims were either androids, or a human that was close with an android. I've been running each victims name's on social media. They all appeared to be pro-android based on their posts. It could be a factor in how the murderer is choosing their victims.' Connor stated, his LED whipping quickly in a circular motion. He wasn't exactly surprised by this revelation. While many people supported the pro-android movement, there were still many fighting against it. There were daily protests, some of which had turned violent. There were YouTube stars whose entire platform was discussing the topic of dismantling the movement. There were constant reports of androids being assaulted. Even some members of the DPD had quit once there were expected to treat androids on the force as their equals. Connor had been relatively lucky. Between spending roughly 97% of his time either at Hank's or work, he had been able to avoid most of the negativity other than the crude comments of the officers that had quit as they walked past him on the way out. But he knew that the hate for androids was just as common as it had been before. Now the people behind the anti-android movement were just louder and more aggressive than ever. It was very likely that the murderer was targeting those trying to protect androids. There was a reason that the security at Jericho was so tight, numerous threats had been made on Markus' life.  
  
"Fuck." Gavin mumbled, leaning back in his chair with a look of realization on his face. "Guess I was wrong about the murderer being an android then." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. A quick analysis revealed that he was disappointed in himself for being wrong and for not making the connection himself.  
  
"Not necessarily." Connor attempted to soothe him. "Even though I'm an android... I wasn't always on their side, sadly."  
  
Gavin snorted. "Regardless, we're looking for someone who hates androids."  
  
Connor tried to wipe the smirk off his face and failed. "I suppose that means we can't completely rule you out as a suspect, Detective Reed."  
  
Gavin fixed him with a hard stare, and the anger in his eyes was mystery. "Can you blame me? Androids always come waltzing in and just fucking... turn everything upside down. They ruin everything."  
  
Connor frowned, suddenly desperately wanting to know why Gavin felt that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep waiting for me to get burned out on this ship, and then I only end up shipping it even fucking harder. :') Thank you for everyone that is commenting, leaving kudos, or interacting with this fic in anyway to remind me that I'm not alone with this rare pairing. I know most people prefer Nines with Gavin, and so Connor and Gavin is sorta rare (or sadly involves a lot of noncon), but I am TRASH for this ship BECAUSE of their canon history and because I love a good redemption arc. My friend and I even have an inside joke about how when I see a not-so-pure character, my brain immediately supplies "Oh honey. :( LET ME FIX YOU"   
> You're all the bee's knees and ily you all. <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy a much longer chapter involving some back story for the Rat Man.
> 
> Heads up for a trigger warning posted in the end chapter notes.

Gavin was not staring. He _wasn't_. Was there a word for the opposite of staring? Because that would probably be more accurate. Like they had been for most of the shift, his eyes were trained on his computer screen, attempting to reread the same case files for the millionth time. It wasn't working. His brain was moving a million miles per minute over Connor's theory that their killer was someone tied to the anti-android movement. His leg was bouncing under the desk, impatiently. Not to mention... Connor was just _there_ , in his peripheral, apparently like some sort of _beacon_ or some shit, attempting to pull his eyes away from the screen. Gavin was going to have to wash his goofy ass tie and give it back to him, because in its absence, Connor had unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt. Which, thank god, right? He would look like such a fucking dweeb with his shirt still fully buttoned. But the new style exposed more of his throat, of his skin, and Gavin was so used to seeing him look so formal that the amount of exposed skin looked completely obscene.

Gavin was learning that he was in fact... a dumbass.

He knew he was overthinking the whole thing. Having a tiny bit of an existential crisis over his realization that Connor, despite being an android, wasn't all that bad. Androids were robotic dicks. It was one of the few things in life that Gavin was certain of. But now? He wasn't so sure. Connor was _kind_. He was thoughtful. And nothing about him seemed robotic. Sure, he was still awkward as shit sometimes, but it wasn't like he was Siri or Alexa on an electronic advice. He had his own thoughts (and feelings too, apparently) and he just... said them. Often without thinking it seemed. Because what was up with that weird compliment about his outfit earlier? He looked comfortable? It reminded him of all the times that he felt bad about kicking Remy off the bed because she was so comfy that it was adorable. Gavin wasn't adorable. He was a badass. And he fucking hated androids. Except for maybe Connor. Wait, no. _Definitely_ Connor.

Gavin glanced down at the time on the bottom right hand side of his computer, which was both a good idea and a bad idea. The good part was that he only had to sit here for six more minutes next to this prick. The bad news is that he also couldn't stop his eyes from trailing to the date just below the time, and his heart immediately sank and his chest felt tight. It had been happening anytime he hadn't distracted himself all day. September 14th. He scrubbed his hand over his stubble roughly. Fuck, he should have just called out of work. But then he would have just moped around the house all day, throwing himself a pity party. Which may not have necessarily been _bad_. It was probably better than him being an asshole to everyone at work. Especially Tina and Chris. It's not like they knew it was the anniversary of his mom's death. He had never told them. He never told anyone.

Elizabeth Reed was an angel. Gavin was convinced of it. Not in a biblical sense, but in the fact that she was the kindest person Gavin had ever known. For his entire life up until her death, she was the one good thing in his life. She was accepting, supportive, and loving. No matter how many times Gavin fucked up as a kid, and even more as a teenager, she loved him without falter. He could always come to her when he needed her, no matter what the situation was. He was one of those lucky kids that never even had to think about coming out. He was pretty sure his mom knew anyway. She was just perfect. Even towards the end, even when she got bad... it wasn't her fault. Her only flaw was that she was madly in love with the wrong man, because Eric Reed, Gavin's father, was the biggest sack of shit on the planet.

Gavin was sure there was a time when things were good between his mother and father. There had to have been. There's no way that his mom would have ever stayed with his dad if things had been bad from the get go. But isn't that what shitty, narcissistic people did? Wait until someone was wrapped around their finger before showing their true colors? All Gavin knew was that the good must have existed before he was born, and probably before Elizabeth and Eric even got married. His dad never deserved his mom, but Jesus fucking Christ did she stick around and hope that he might one day become a person that did. He never changed. People never did.

Gavin was basically falling apart, and the last few minutes of his shift felt like they were stretching out for hours. He could see how Connor kept glancing up at him, looking _concerned_. He knew he looked like shit. He hadn't been sleeping. His clothes were wrinkled, and possibly not even clean. His arm hurt but he refused to pick up his pain meds from the pharmacy. His incident report from the shooting had been poorly written and Fowler was wanting him to have a psychological evaluation to cover the department's ass. Or maybe it was because he cared. Gavin couldn't see why he would. And the fucking cherry on top of it all was that he was still being baby about his mom's death. It had been _years_. Why couldn't he just get over it? He still hadn't even been able to bring himself to visit her grave. He had once since she died, but seeing his dad buried next to her had only pissed him off and he couldn't bring himself to go back. Eric didn't even deserve to share the same soil as her.

Gavin fucking Reed: Grown ass man and detective who would kill just to have his mom run her fingers through his hair one last time and tell him everything would be okay. What a fucking joke.

The moment the clock rolled over the 6pm, he clicked the 'clock out' button on his screen with a relieved sigh. The one good thing about being put on this case with Connor is that his hours had been switched to Hank's, which were at least consistent. He hated waking up early, but the occasional week of third shift that was thrown at him was generally awful. Late night was when the weird calls came in. And they weren't the fun kind of weird. Gavin stood up, reaching for his jacket on the back of his chair out of habit, only for his hands to come up short. He scowled at the chair like it had personally offended him and headed for the door, but Connor called out to him. Because of course he fucking would.

"Detective Reed?"

"What do you want, asshole?" He spat immediately. "I'm off the clock."

Connor looked nervous. His LED was yellow and spinning, and Gavin knew he was probably doing that dumb thing he did where he tried to determine the outcome of situations based on how he responded to them. Which was completely unfair. Or maybe the dumbass had called out to him without anything in mind, because he was staring at Gavin kinda blankly, like he was trying to make up an excuse. "Would you like a rematch tonight? Or perhaps we could play another game?" _What the fuck?_ Gavin was going to end up punching him again. He swore to god. Today of all days was the _last_ day of the year he wanted to spend with a fucking android.  
  
Gavin opened his mouth to reply, with absolutely nothing good, when he fit an arm slide between his own arm and side, wrapping around him gently as Tina's voice interrupted. "Why would you two want to play video games when we could all play pool at that new pool hall that opened up on third?" Gavin glared at her. He wanted to go _home_.  
  
"I've never played pool before." Connor replied. "But I'm willing to give it a try. If you could give me a few moments to call Hank and let him know I won't be coming home until later, I would love to join you."  
  
"Perfect!" Tina exclaimed, all smiles. She was up to something and Gavin was _not_ having it. She tugged on his arm, pulling him towards to exit to give Connor some privacy for his phone call.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?" Gavin growled. "You don't even get off of work tonight until 10."  
  
Tina spun on him, an absolute force despite her small stature. Gavin was a little afraid of how she could be so intimidating and yet so small. "There is obviously something wrong with you today. I don't know what it is, and I know better than to ask. But I'm worried about you, Gavin. I know we all have good days and bad days, but this seems... different. I'm not going to pry, but please just humor me. I don't think it's a good idea for you to be by yourself. You obviously haven't been sleeping. Listen, there's this under eye cream-"  
  
"You can't be serious right now-"  
  
"You look like death-"  
  
"I'm fine-"  
  
"You were _shot_ , Gav! You could have died had Connor not been there!" Tina's eyes were shining, and she blinked them a few times. Gavin swallowed. She was worried and on the verge of tears. He had only ever seen her cry a few times, and it broke him a little each time. "You're my best friend." She added softly. "I don't want to lose you. Not to some junkie, and not to whatever is going on inside that head of yours. I'll join you two when my shift ends. Please. Just... just let people care about you. Okay?"  
  
"Okay." He whispered back. Tina hoped she knew he was an absolute sucker for her. This is why he didn't like to get close to people. One look and he was willing to do what she asked.  
  
"You've been skipping out on your meds again, haven't you?"  
  
Gavin froze. He didn't _need_ medication. He could deal with things on his own. He was a grown ass man, he wasn't about to let something as dumb as ADHD dictate his whole life. "I don't _need_ to take them, Tina. They just help sometimes-"  
  
"And you get irritable as fuck when you stop taking them. You do realize that's a withdrawal symptom-"  
  
"Stop! Just fucking stop. It's just ADHD medicine. It's not like depression meds, I'm not going to just off myself because I stopped taking them cold turkey, or whatever the fuck you're worried about! I always do better at solving cases when I'm not taking them."  
  
Tina snorted, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah, you're just a dick instead. And get stuck in your head overthinking and-"  
  
"Can we please stop talking about this?" Gavin asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really just want to go home. Please, Tina."  
  
Tina sighed. "Will you at least hangout with Connor for a little while? You get weird when you're off your meds, Gavin. I get that you can function without them, and I get that you think it's embarrassing or whatever that the doctor thinks you need them. Just... this one time. Just listen to me, asshole."  
  
" _Fine_." Gavin snapped. "I'll invite him over because apparently I need fucking babysitting. I'm only doing this because Remy likes him and likes the extra attention she gets when he comes over. God dammit, I just _really_ wanted to be by myself tonight."  
  
Tina hugged him. So abruptly and forcefully that it caught him off guard. "Every single time you've been so adamant about wanting to be alone, it was the times you absolutely didn't need to be." She whispered against his chest. She let him go. "Even if I don't have anything to worry about, I'm going to worry about you. So just get used to it. Hangout with Connor tonight and I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're coming over tonight too. I'm only hanging out with him until you get off." He told her firmly.  
  
"That was the plan when were playing pool. Plans have changed." She winked at him.  
  
"Tina-" He started but she flipped him off with both hands and scurried off. Why was everyone in his life a traitor?  
  
"Are you ready, detective?" Connor voice made him flinch.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready. Change of plans. We're going back to my house instead. You can ride with me."  
  
  
  
Gavin was incredibly glad he had purchased alcohol, because he wasn't getting through this shit completely sober. He couldn't stop thinking about his mom, or thinking about the guy he killed, or thinking about the fact that he had been shot, or thinking about the fact that there was a fucking android sitting on his couch, winning his dog over more and more everyday. Or the fact that the plastic fuck was apparently over at his house so much that he could even think that in the first place. He was surprised Connor had even agreed to come over after how he had been treating him all day. Gavin was feeling a little better after a few glasses, and it honestly pissed him off little. Isn't that how people developed a problem in the first place? They drank to make themselves feel better?  
  
He plopped down on the couch, downing the rest of his glass without thinking. At least he wasn't being a total asshole now. "So, uh, sorry. " He mumbled, narrowing his eyes at how Remy didn't even acknowledge him because she was too busy in Connor's lap. "About today. It's just been a really bad day for me. I probably should have just called out of work."  
  
Connor took his eyes off of Remy. "Thank you for your apology, detective. We all have bad days. Are you feeling better?"  
  
Gavin swallowed hard. "Not really." He thought back to when Connor asked him about the scar on his nose. How soft Connor's eyes had been, curious but not prying. And maybe it was the alcohol talking, maybe it was the fact that Connor just _looked_ like he had never judged anyone a day in his life, but Gavin had the urge to tell him. To tell him everything. "So, uh, today.... today is the anniversary of my mom's death. It happened fourteen years ago today." He fucking hated how his voice cracked, and hated the fact that he was actually talking about it even more.  
  
Connor's eyes immediately softened, his eyebrows furrowing together sympathetically. Was that real? Or just him imitating human behavior like he was designed to do? "I'm sorry to hear that. I can only imagine how difficult today must have been for you. I... I know you won't think it's the same. But I know how much it would hurt me to lose Hank."  
  
Gavin just nodded. He was still wrapping his head around the fact that Hank had all but adopted Connor, but he supposed it really was the closest point of reference for him. He pulled another glass, ignoring how Connor eyed him. The android had rejected his offer of the android liquor still sitting in his cabinet, and he knew Connor was keeping tabs of how much he was drinking. He sighed. Might as well spill everything, right? He had nothing to lose, and he felt this weird need to somehow _try_ to justify his actions. Gavin knew there was no real justification for how he treated people, especially how he had treated Connor, but he just wanted him to understand. Because Connor really _wasn't_ that bad. He really didn't deserve to be treated like shit. He had never asked to be made, just like humans had never asked to be born. Gavin swirled the amber liquid in his glass and took a deep breath. "You've asked me why I hate androids." He looked up at Connor. "Are you sure you want to know the truth?"  
  
"You don't have to tell me." Connor responded immediately. "But I would like to know you better. You're... difficult to understand. It can make our work relationship taxing."  
  
Gavin snorted. "Well, strap in, tin can. This ain't a short story." Connor smiled. It was soft and encouraging and it made something flutter in Gavin's gut. He pointedly ignored it because _what the actual fuck_ was that?  
  
"I have time."  
  
"So, uh... I grew up kinda rich. My dad had a really successful job working for a company that made computer parts. He worked his way up from doing manual labor to basically just having to stand in front of a conveyor belt and pressing a button periodically because as technology advanced, the company found out cheaper ways of helping production. Life wasn't... it wasn't bad. I was better off that most kids, and my mom-" He swallowed, hearing himself get choked up. "My mom was perfect. Like the textbook perfect mother. She always helped me with my homework, she was an amazing cook, she was always there for me... she was just amazing. But my dad..." Gavin scowled. "They were high school sweethearts, and my mom was completely wrapped around his finger, even though he was fucking awful. He cheated on her a lot. Always said it was a business trip. My mom chose to believe it, but she knew. She had to have known he was cheating, it wasn't the first time, he had been doing it with various women since high school. But she always fucking stayed with him." Gavin sighed and downed some of his drink. "She got really depressed. The doctor gave her some pills. It helped a little. Or at least I think. She never treated me any differently, never let his bullshit affect what a great mom she was."  
  
Connor was listening carefully, his hand idly running over Remy's fur. She had scooted closer to Gavin, probably realizing he was in distress. "I'm sure she was a lovely woman." Connor offered softly.  
  
Gavin nodded. "Things weren't that bad. Not at first. My mom kept staying in denial. I don't know why she was so afraid to leave him. It wasn't the money. If they got divorced, she would still have enough to take care of us. But she thought she could change him. That maybe one day he would learn to keep his dick in his pants and stop emotionally abusing her. He was just distant towards me. He only ever pressured me to do well in school so that I could be successful like he was." He laughed bitterly. "As if schooling had anything to do with pressing a button." He rolled his eyes. "Then... Elijah fucking Kamski founded CyberLife. This was way before your time, tin can. This is back before they perfected the craft of androids, and it was just a shell of what it would one day become. They were already making technological leaps, that asshole Kasmki thinking he was the next Nikola Tesla. People started getting let go at my dad's job. His job was safe for awhile, until they released the first android for sale. The company my dad worked for was understandably successful. I mean, shit. They made computer parts. Practically everything we own is a computer now. They had no problem forking over the cash for the chunk of plastic, and bye-bye went my dad's job, along with hundreds of others." Gavin downed the drink, wincing at how it was too much at once and burned the entire way down. At least his arm didn't hurt.  
  
"That's why you always make comments about androids replacing people." It wasn't a question. Connor already knew. "Because one replaced your father at his job."  
  
"Yep." Gavin laughed coldly. "And that's not even the worst part." He was avoiding Connor's eyes. There were so soft and caring. His mom would have liked Connor. She would have never blamed androids for what happened. But Elizabeth had been a better person than Gavin would ever be. "My dad didn't take the job loss well. I think maybe the affairs he was having were with a bunch of gold diggers, because at first he still wasn't around, but as our bank account started to get smaller, he stopped going out. He always said it was for jobs, but mom and I both knew it was bullshit. The creation of androids had put unemployment at an all time high. He started drinking." Gavin eyed the empty bottle on his coffee table with disgust. "A lot. Much more than Anderson ever did. And he was a fucking asshole when he was drunk. He started..." Gavin's voice cracked and he closed his eyes, swallowing hard. He blinked his eyes a few times and continued. "He started getting more aggressive. I came home with a bad grade one day. Was I really supposed to be worried about school when my dad was an alcoholic asshole and took it out on my mom? He didn't care though. He took off his belt and started hitting me. When my mom tried to stop him, he hit her. And so that was my life for two years until I finished high school. I tried to call the cops a few times but my mom always convinced them it was a misunderstanding, and then my dad would beat me so bloody I could barely move for a week. Then things got worse, because CyberLife came out with the first android that was like you. The first one that was able to pass that thinking test of whatever. My dad got even angrier and drank even more. The job market got even worse. I was old enough to be out on my own, working some shitty little job at a convenience store. I kept telling my mom that we should leave. That she could come with me and we could just let my dad rot in a puddle of his own piss and alcohol. But even after everything she wouldn't fucking leave him. So, I left. I got a shitty rundown apartment on the bad side of town, lived off of Ramen noodles forever, and started at the police academy. I figured I could just become a cop and throw my dad behind bars, because it was the only way to keep my mom safe." Gavin got quiet and looked up at Connor. He was listening intently, his head slightly tilted. Gavin was pretty sure he hadn't blinked the entire time, not that he probably needed to. "I never got the chance." Gavin whispered. "I never got the chance to save my mom because after I left it kept getting worse. Instead of having two people to take his anger out on, he only had her. She couldn't take it. She took the entire bottle of pills one day. Didn't leave a fucking note or anything. Just took them and overdosed. Because I left."  
  
"Gavin..." Connor started softly, saying his fucking name like they were friends. He picked up Remy and placed her on the floor so that he could scoot closer to Gavin. "It wasn't your fault."  
  
Gavin blinked the tears from his eyes before they ever even fully formed. "Oh yeah? Because had I not left her there, she could still be alive!" He snarled. "I abandoned her and she fucking killed herself because I left her with the piece of shit that was beating her!"  
  
"Gavin, listen to me." Connor placed his hand on Gavin's knee, and Gavin immediately jerked it out of his touch. It didn't deter Connor from continuing. "You left with the intention of helping your mom. Not with abandoning her. There was no way for you to know that she was going to take her own life. You were only trying to help."  
  
Gavin bit his lip hard. His eyes were stinging and a lump formed in his throat, and he was not about to fucking cry in front of this plastic asshole. "You asked about my scar." He said trying to distract himself. "When I found out, I confronted my dad about it. I was a coward and never stood up to him. He was a lot bigger than I was. I got my mom's height. But when I found out...I fucking lost it. I showed up and hit him. I got a few good punches in before he started beating the shit out of me again. He broke a fucking liquor bottle on my face. It broke my nose and split it open. So, now whenever I look in the mirror, I'm just reminded of just how bad I fucked up."  
  
Connor's LED was red and swirling. "You blame androids for your dad's abuse because they replaced him at his job. You blame yourself for your mother taking her own life. But no one is responsible for the actions of others. You were doing the best you could. You were doing what you thought was the right thing." He paused for a moment, and said the night statement cautiously. "Your mother would be proud of you."  
  
"Wh-what?" Gavin asked, disbelief etched in his tone.  
  
"She would be. I've read your file. You became a detective quickly. You've solved cold cases, closed drug rings, saved lives. You're making a difference. If your mother is half the women I believe her to be, she would have been very proud of you."  
  
"Thanks, tin can." Gavin whispered brokenly. "I bet you weren't expecting a fucking sob story when you agreed to come over." Connor smiled. Gavin liked how it made the corner of his soft brown eyes crease, he liked how it softened his facial expression and how his lips curved and- fuck. Gavin really needed to quit drinking around this asshole, because whether he liked it or not, CyberLife had stopped at nothing to make him ridiculously attractive and ridiculously sweet and Gavin hadn't been laid in awhile and-  
  
"I'm glad you told me." Connor derailed his thoughts, thank fuck. "It helps me understand you a lot better. I'm sorry that CyberLife caused the chain of events that made you have to go through so much."  
  
"It's not your fault." Gavin sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. He was fucking tired. "Hey, you're not so bad. I know I'm a fucking dick, but you're really not that bad. You're...you're nice. You've always been nice to me. Even when I pointed a gun at you. You easily could have killed me but you only knocked me out. You were only ever trying to do your job and I was a massive prick about the whole thing. Unresolved trauma, or what the fuck ever."  
  
Connor laughed. "You've come a long way since you've tried to shoot me, if that counts for anything."  
  
"Small miracles, Connor, small miracles."  
  
"I have to admit, I like you calling me 'Connor' a lot more than the other names you prefer for me." Connor said with a smirk.  
  
Gavin laughed. "Oh yeah? 'Tin can' isn't _that_ bad."  
  
"It depends on how you say it. Sometimes, when you hurl an insult at me it's apparent that you're doing it to be rude and aggressive. Sometimes... well, if I didn't know any better, you sound almost fond of me when you're using a nickname."  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes. "Keep dreaming, ken doll."  
  
Connor's smile brightened. "Like that. Exactly like that."  
  
Gavin hadn't realized just how close they were sitting, how their knees were bumping and how he could feel the heat coming off of Connor's body. Jesus fucking Christ. He wasn't 100% sure if CyberLife was still up and running after the revolution, but he felt like he should sue them for the distress they were putting him through. Gavin smiled despite himself. "I hate to kick you out, but I really do need to try to get some sleep. You and I are about to do a shit ton of research tomorrow and test your theory about the killer. See if we can make anymore connections."  
  
"Of course, Detective Reed." Connor said, standing and heading for the door.  
  
Gavin followed him and slid in front of him to open the door for him. "Gavin." He muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just... just fucking call me Gavin. I'm sick of the formalities. It makes you sound more like a robot." Gavin hated that he liked the way his name sounded coming from Connor, he _hated_ it.  
  
"Okay, _Gavin_." Connor said with a smirk.  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes and dramatically motioned for the android to get the fuck out of his house. Connor just smiled again and told him he would see him in the morning.  
  
That night, Gavin threw away his empty liquor bottle, cleaned up, didn't drink more coffee despite wanting to, let Remy sleep in his bed, and took his medication. He expected to fall asleep thinking about how much he missed his mom. Instead, he fell asleep thinking about how Connor said she would be proud of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *****TRIGGER WARNING*** Discussion of abuse, alcoholism, and suicide.**
> 
> So, time for a little personal character study on Gavin fucking Reed. This may be long. I have a lot of feelings.
> 
> Gavin having ADHD is a huge head canon of mine, and has been since the first time I played through DBH. I'm sure projection has a little to do with it (I'm going to be projecting on him a lot), but it's not based on that alone. He's impulsive (drawing his gun constantly), loud (clapping and making scene in the break room with Tina if Connor gets killed during the android interrogation), how distracted he gets (same scene but earlier, he's looking directly at Connor's jacket with his model type and number and still asks him about his model even though he just looked at it), low frustration tolerance (just... the way he acts in like every scene lmao), being hot headed (I don't even need to justify that one) and hyper focus. Granted, that one is a bit of stretch from head canons, but one of my friends was a cop for 15 (he left the force about 7 years ago because he couldn't handle the shady shit going on) and we discussed how long it would take someone to get promoted to detective since he's been playing through DBH too. He said if we were trying to base things off of realism, it wouldn't be unheard of for Gavin to become a detective at a fairly early age, especially if he started at the police academy at an early age. But he also said with the DPD being so large and in such a large city, he would have had to work his ass off and be a damn good cop to become a detective in Detroit because he would have plenty of competition. I know personally that I'm a lot more productive when my hyper focus kicks in, and so I gave him that too, and that's why he fixates on cases until he solves them. It also explains his tidiness in this fic, because when I _am_ medicated, I'm a lot tidier and more organized. 
> 
> Also, yeah, I know a lot of people give Gavin daddy issues. But I always had the head canon that it was more directly tied to something involving the androids. I don't know if any of you are active on Twitch, but Neil Newbon further validated this thought process for me during his stream with Chris Trindade when he was talking about how he didn't feel like Gavin hated _people_ regardless of sexual orientation, race, etc, but specifically hated _androids_ because he liked his job, and was afraid of androids replacing humans. 
> 
> So, I feel like I addressed a lot in this chapter. It addressed some his characteristics that I tied to ADHD, it addressed why he doesn't like getting piss drunk, and talked shit about Hank for doing so, and why he hates androids. I'm not going to lie, it was an EFFORT to write. I want these characters to feel authentic while still being able to put my twist on them, and I personally cannot stand in fics where Gavin magically changes overnight because I don't find it realistic. (Also I think it's official... Gavin may be developing a little bit of a crush even if he refuses to admit it)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that while I may be a slut for Gavin, Connor is my baby too. :') His chapters just have the tendency to be shorter because it's easier for me to write in Gavin's POV because I'm a trash human too.

The following morning for Connor was no different than any other morning. He still awoke from sleep mode early. He still walked and fed Sumo, even though gave him a little more attention than normal since he had been spending time away from home. He still made Hank breakfast and coffee, despite the older man grumbling about it. Nothing had changed. Nothing was different.

But it felt different.

Connor felt lighter and happier than he had in awhile. Maybe since Hank had offered to let him live with him. Getting to know Gavin was interesting, to say the least. He felt honored that Gavin was willing to share his past with him, because it had been apparent that it wasn't an easy story for the detective to relive. Connor had a feeling that it wasn't a story he had told many people, because he felt like they may treat Gavin differently if they knew. None of it excused his behavior in the least bit, but it did give Connor new insight. Gavin's previous behavior may still be wrong, but at least now it made more sense. He had a tragic past, and that past had weighed heavily on him for years. And now that Connor knew why Gavin hated androids, it made it easier to figure out how to approach him. He just needed to ensure Gavin that he had no plans to replace him. Which should be less difficult now that he admitted that he didn't think that Connor was that bad.

He knew from experience how much easier his job at the DPD was when he got along with his partner. The shift between when he first started working with Hank to now was astronomically different. He enjoyed working with Hank, enjoyed how they could bounce ideas off of each other, and have a banter in between the seriousness of the cases they were assigned. He enjoyed spending time with Hank both on and off the clock. And he was starting to feel the same about Gavin. When Gavin wasn't being abrasive, when he wasn't lashing out, he was actually quite likable. He was funny without meaning to be, his humor dry one second and goofy the next. He was incredibly intelligent even though he never gave himself credit for it. And Gavin would probably die before ever admitting it, but he was also incredibly sweet and kind-hearted underneath the facade that he put up. Remy was proof of that. The way he responded to Dea was proof of that. His relationship with Tina was proof of that. Gavin cared deeply about other people, but for some reason wanted to pretend that he didn't. It was fascinating. Gavin was a case that Connor couldn't crack. And he desperately wanted to.

"You alright there, Con?" Hank asked through a mouthful during breakfast. Connor hadn't realized he was staring off into space, deep in thought.

"Oh, yes." Connor responded. "I've just been thinking. Do you think people can change? Truly change?"

Hank laughed. "I sure as shit did." His face suddenly dropped into something more serious. **[[Analyzing...suspicious. Cautious.]]** "Why?"

Connor reached to straighten his tie out of a nervous habit, only to be reminded that he wasn't wearing one. Perhaps it was time to discuss this with Hank? But he knew that he had to approach it very carefully. Hank wasn't seeing the same progress in Gavin as Connor was. All he had seen was Gavin's cruelty towards Connor. "When we first met, you didn't like androids. You had your reasons for that, and it was understandable. But the more we spent time together, the more you saw that not all androids were the same, that your feelings towards us were misguided. I think Detective Reed may be starting to feel the same."

Hank started cackling, so hard in fact that he ended up choking on his bacon and having to gulp down coffee to cease the coughing. "You're kidding, right? That prick was an asshole long before he met you, Connor. It's not just you. It's towards _everyone_. He just has a particularly large stick up his ass about androids."

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Connor tried again. "But what if there are reasons for that?" He didn't want to elaborate. He _wouldn't_ elaborate. It was not his story to tell, it was Gavin's. It was not his place to expose Gavin's past. "He's... been nicer lately. Not to mention, I can't imagine Chris and Tina being so close to him if he were all bad. He must have some redeemable qualities or he would have no friends at all."

"Huh." Hank thought out loud. "Guess I never really thought of it that way. But that doesn't mean you should go and forgive him so easily."

"I forgave you." Connor said with a smile.

"Yeah, and there are still days I don't think I deserve it." Hank replied seriously. "But I knew I fucked up and I've tried to be better."

Connor smiled again. Maybe that's exactly how Gavin felt. He had apologized. He had admitted (in his own way) that he liked Connor. He was opening up and becoming more trusting. It was very uncharacteristic of him, but Connor _liked_ it. He liked noticing that Gavin's stress levels were no longer as high. He liked seeing Gavin let his guard down. He especially liked it on the rare occasion that he could make Gavin flustered. It was... what was it exactly? Charming? ...attractive? Connor felt his face heat up and immediately cooled his system. He didn't need Hank questioning why his cheeks were tinted with blue. "I... have to get to work." Connor responded, standing up abruptly.

"Alright, son. Have a good day at work. Don't waste too much time trying to figure out that asshole Reed. I'll be back to work before you know it."

Connor just nodded. The statement made him realize that despite how much he missed working with Hank, he thought he might miss working with Gavin too.

Gavin's car was already in the parking lot of the DPD to Connor's surprise. Maybe he had actually been able to get some sleep. Which was a pleasant thought, because the night before he had looked _miserable_. Connor knew that the anniversary of his mother's death would be difficult in and of itself, but the lack of sleep certainly wasn't helping. Connor decided that maybe this time if he grabbed Gavin a cup of coffee it wouldn't have negative results.

Tina was already in the break room, sipping on her own coffee and scrolling through her phone. Her schedule was either brutal this week, or she was working towards becoming a detective herself. It made Connor feel guilty. He never had to earn the title. He was designed for it. "Good morning, Tina." He greeted her, making his way to the coffee machine.

"Mornin', Connor!" She replied brightly. She was one of the few people at the department that appeared to be a morning person. She watched him set up the machine with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Connor suddenly felt a little flustered with his decision to make Gavin coffee. Was he trying too hard? "Gavin isn't nearly as pleasant in the morning as you are. I thought maybe he might want some coffee."

Tina's face lit up with what Hank would describe as a 'shit eating grin'. "So, I guess that means he wasn't too hard on you last night. He wasn't too happy when I bailed on him."

"Why _did_ you cancel on him?" Connor asked, turning to face her completely instead of just looking over his shoulder.

She shrugged, feigning innocence. Connor didn't buy it for a second. "All Gavin has is me and Chris. And don't get me wong, we're fucking great, so he's lucky to have that. But he should have more people in his life. People like you, that'll call him out on his bullshit but not judge him for it either." Tina sighed. "Listen, Connor. I know he's been really mean to you, and you never deserved it. But he really is a good guy. Yeah, you have to get through the bullshit to see that, but Gavin would do anything for the people he loves."

"I'm beginning to realize that." Connor whispered softly.

Tina's face broke into a grin. '"Good! Then my plan is working!"

Connor could easily analyze the situation to get better incite on what her 'plan' was, but it didn't feel right to do so. He was learning that just because he could analyze situations and people, it didn't mean that he always should. It was an unfair advantage, and was often less fun. "And what might your plan be?"

Tina tried to make herself look innocent again. She was awful at it. "Oh nothing. But I'll give you a hint, Con. Imagine how much easier it would be for _everyone_ if he stopped bitching about being stuck with you."

Frowning, Connor immediately replied. "Does he complain about that a lot?"

"Not so much anymore." She said with a wink. "I think you two are good for each other. Exact opposites... but that's what makes it work. Just don't spoil him too much with the coffee. He might start expecting it every morning."

Connor shrugged. "I could make it for him every morning. I make Hank's every morning."

TIna's eyes softened along with her facial expression. "Let me know if that asshole doesn't thank you."

A smile spread across Connor's face and he laughed. "Can do, Tina." He wished her a good day and left the break room. He was certain that Tina didn't realize his hearing was better than a human's because he heard her dial a number and then immediately whisper "Chris! I think it's working!" into her phone. Connor frowned and thought maybe he should have analyzed her earlier.

"Good morning, Detec- Gavin." Connor said as he approached him, placing the coffee cup on his desk. Gavin flinched, too engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone, and eyed the coffee cup a little suspiciously. **[[Analyzing Gavin ↑... well rested. Thankful.]]** He looked better today. The circles under his eyes weren't quite as dark, he was in nicer jeans, and a nicely fitted long sleeve v neck. 

"This for me?" He asked incredulously.

Connor raised a sarcastic eyebrow at him. "No. It's for my _other_ partner."

Gavin laughed. "Thanks, tin can." And there it was again. A nickname paired with an undeniable fondness in his voice, his lips just barely turned up in a smile. It looked good on him. So much better than the frown or scowl that was normally on his face. It made him look younger and less worn, and something about it being geared at Connor made him feel warm and pleasant. _He_ did that. _He_ put that smile there. Connor must have been staring slightly (it was sometimes difficult for him to realize he was) because Gavin's faced morphed into something more confused, and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks which only delighted Connor further.

"You're welcome." He responded pleasantly, taking his seat at his desk to prevent things from growing awkward. He hid his smile behind his (useless) computer monitor when he saw Gavin actually grab the coffee the coffee and drink it. Then immediately proceeded to choke on it a little. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine... it's just this is _exactly_ how I make my coffee? I... I wasn't expected that."

"I analyzed your coffee one day after you made it clear how much you dislike plain, black coffee. I still disagree with how much sugar you put in it, but if that's what will get you to drink it..." Connor shrugged.

Gavin grinned dramatically. "What can I say? I like my coffee like I like my men... sweet."

"That makes perfect sense seeing as you were with Michael." Connor responded sarcastically with an eye roll.

"Shut the fuck up." Gavin laughed, throwing a paperclip at him. "I was never _dating_ Michael. We were just... you know."

"Friends with benefits." Connor supplied with a smirk. He knew he was probably taking the teasing a little too far, but he had the urge to see how far he could push it. Gavin was already letting him get away with more than he normally did.

"Call it what you want, robocop. I just wanted no strings attached sex, and that's what I was getting for awhile."

Connor shifted uncomfortably and picked a piece of lint of his pants nervously. He had never explored that part of his features. He had never felt the need to. Prior to his deviancy, his mission never required him to have sex. Now that he was a deviant, he would be lying if he said he hadn't _thought_ about it, especially since his upgrade. Pleasure was something he would like to experience. He wanted to experience everything.

"Hey." Gavin interrupted his thoughts softly. "Do I, uh, make you uncomfortable when I talk about sex?"

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable, so to speak." Connor worded carefully. "But I have nothing to offer on the topic, so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say?"

Gavin shrugged. "You're not the Terminator anymore. You don't have to like... follow your programming or whatever, or try to respond to people based on what would appeal to them. You can say whatever you want to say." He picked up his coffee and took a sip.

"I would like to have sex."

Gavin spit his coffee everywhere, and proceeded to start coughing excessively. "Jesus fucking Christ, Connor." He hacked. His cheeks were bright red and Connor wasn't sure if it was from the coughing or he was blushing. A quick analysis proved that it was both. "That- that's not what I meant." Gavin's face continued to get redder, and it made Connor smile. "Uh, I mean, if that's what you want, it... it shouldn't be too hard for you. To, you know, make that happen."

Connor tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Dear god..." Gavin let his forehead smack his desk dramatically. Even the tips of his ears were red, and Connor bit his lip to avoid laughing. He looked up at Connor, looking defeated. "Listen, you're not... you're not bad looking, okay? Like CyberLife obviously put some thought into how you look, and-" He stopped himself. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't understand why you're so embarrassed. You're not bad looking either." Connor said, because, well, it was true. Gavin was attractive. His personality had originally made him less attractive, but as his personality improved, Connor was really starting to notice it.

"Because... fuck. We're not talking about this. We have a case to work on." Gavin muttered, bringing his eyes back to his computer monitor for the first time since Connor had brought him coffee.

"You're right." Connor agreed, choosing not to press the topic. "The research I did was minimal. Just a surface test of the victim's social media. Out of the two androids, only one had social media, and out of the human victims-" Connor cut himself off. He had already checked all social media platforms for all of the victims, but more research could be done, and he wanted Gavin to feel useful. He wanted Gavin to know he wasn't as easily replaceable as he felt. "We should do more research on the humans." Connor added. "I feel like you could pick up on things I was unable to."

Gavin laughed. "I think this is the first time I'm going to be able to dick around on social media at work and not get in trouble for it. If you want to focus on the androids, I'll focus on the humans."

Connor smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

They spent hours researching. Connor could have easily knocked it out in much less time, but Gavin appeared to be in a good mood when he felt productive. And Connor was being honest when he said he felt like Gavin might be able to notice things he couldn't. As a human, Gavin had more experience with social media, and viewed it differently. But as Connor was scouring the internet for social media accounts that he may have missed (and also going through the human's accounts too, but he would keep that quiet), he was finding it increasingly interesting. It was like small glimpses into the lives of others, but didn't feel as invasive as running a private analysis. Connor was completely done with his research. The android that had social media was understandably supportive of the android revolution, and had many pictures posted at rally's with both other androids, and with humans that supported the cause. With his research out of the way, he was... curious. Gavin's comment about about not being able to get in trouble for being on social media made it apparent that he did in fact have at least some sort of account. What was Gavin's social media like? He quickly searched his name, only to find an Instagram account: **.Gavin.Reed.** Connor smiled. How original.  
  
Gavin's Instagram didn't have many posts, despite the fact that it had been active for a few years. It was mostly pictures of Remy with sweet captions about her. There was also a picture of a coffee cup captioned 'fourth one today' with a sweating emoji, a picture of the outside of the DPD, a picture of his car with no caption, a selfie of him and Tina (Tina had clearly taken it to Gavin's dismay, and she was tagged in it), a picture of Gavin and Chris taking shots (also apparently taken by Tina), and the occasional picture of Gavin himself. Most of the pictures, even the ones _of_ Gavin, appeared to be taken by Tina, and he didn't seem to happy about it. Connor frowned slightly. Gavin looked so much _better_ with a smile on his face when he dropped the grumpy act.  
  
"Okay, so this is what I've come up with." Gavin said, making Connor panic-exit the window he had up in his mind. "First of all, you were right. The human victims were all supportive of the android revolution. Some were more active about it on social media. I saw numerous posts and statuses for all of them though, and none of them were linked to the anti-android movement. So, the killer apparently has it out for androids, or people that support them. Which means we can try to cross research if they had any mutual friends or followers, and see if maybe there's any info on someone making anti-android posts."  
  
"That's a really good idea, Gavin."  
  
"Thanks." Gavin muttered shyly, rubbing the back of is neck self consciously.  
  
"I would suggest we go ahead and do that now... but looking at the time, our shift ended thirteen minutes and 47 seconds ago."  
  
Gavin's eyes darted down to the time on his computer screen. "Shit. I didn't even notice what time it was. Have we really been working that long?"  
  
Connor chuckled. "Excluding our break, and conversation when I first arrived, yes. It would seem so. You go ahead and clock out. I know Remy is waiting on you.I'll stay here a little longer and see if I can figure anything else out."  
  
"That's not fair." Gavin pouted. Connor smiled at how he just _knew_ Gavin would claim he was simply frowning, but he was definitely pouting. "I _want_ to keep working. Don't use Remy against me like that."  
  
Quirking his eyebrows at Gavin, Connor asked "I just assumed you didn't want to clean up after her. Even Sumo has accidents sometimes."  
  
Gavin held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I guess that's a fair point. Jesus, back before I got her, they couldn't get rid of me here when I had a case. Just don't... overwork yourself. Finish what you're working on and then go home." Connor avoided his eyes, because he was definitely 'working on' researching Gavin more. Gavin clocked out quickly and stood up. He bit his lip momentarily, like he was debating something. "'Night, tin can." He muttered. As he passed Connor's desk, he reached in his pocket for something and sat it next to Connor's hand, then left without another word.  
  
Connor looked down. It was his tie, neatly folded and freshly clean. Connor unfolded it and a note fell from its folds. In a messy scrawl, it just said the words. _I thought you might want this back. -GR_ Connor smiled. He had been doing that a lot lately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... I'm not gonna lie. When I saw that "Gavin's" instagram username wasn't taken, I ALMOST made an account that for him. Unfortunately, I cannot art or I would make one.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter? So soon? Jesus. Who am I?  
> Thank you to all you wonderful beings that have continued to stay with this fic. I had no idea that the word count had gotten quite so high until I looked at it and... wow. Enjoy some content that contributes to this fic being rated E because I feel like you deserve a little treat after the tease in the last chapter. They're not quite there just yet... but what happens in this chapter definitely deserves to be rated E.  
> Also known as: Just a little smut. As a treat.

Gavin's routine when he got home was just the same as it always was. He walked Remy. Except this time they both ended up running because Gavin couldn't stop thinking about _Connor_. He then fed her. Except that to her delight, he accidentally overfilled the bowl because he couldn't stop thinking about _Connor_. He tried to cook dinner. Except he burned his dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets because he couldn't stop thinking about _Connor_.

In his defense, it was 110% _not_ his fault. Sometimes he liked how blunt Connor was. It was funny. He never knew what to expect. But that was just it, wasn't it? He hadn't expected the guy just to blurt out that he wanted to have sex. It wasn't a proposition, was it? No, there was no fucking way Connor meant it like that. Time to shut that shit down real quick. Gavin had just suggested he say what he wanted to, and apparently that was what he wanted to say. He hadn't meant that he wanted to have sex _with Gavin_ , the dude just wanted to test out his new upgrade or whatever. It was completely innocent. Gavin guessed after there little heart to heart (that Gavin was trying not to think about... because embarrassing), Connor was just feeling more comfortable with him. He didn't feel like it was a big deal.

So, why the fuck was Gavin making it such a big deal?

Remy seemed to have noticed he was being moody and stuck in his own head, because she snuggled him for a bit, reminding him he was still her favorite human, and then she gave him some distance. She had been lying in her dog bed with a squeaky toy while he lounged on the couch staring at his tv, not even sure what channel it was even on. Gavin couldn't help that he was curious. Connor had straight up said that CyberLife had equipped him with the means of having sex. But to what extent could that go? He remembered when Connor first brought that up, and how he wondered if maybe 'equipped' androids were just over glorified sex dolls. But now that he knew Connor better, that didn't feel _right_. Connor was _alive_. He couldn't imagine that he would just lie there. Which meant... which meant he would actively participate in sex. That he could feel it. That he could enjoy himself. That he would probably moan-

Gavin looked down at his tented sweatpants. God fucking dammit. Even his dick was a traitor.  
  
Gavin groaned dramatically. Fuck his fucking life. Going from hating androids, to wondering what it would be like to fuck one. There _was_ the option of Eden Club. It was still up and running, some of the androids choosing to stay and now getting paid for their services. But... no. Some androids still had that weirdness about them. Like they were free, but not quite alive just yet. It creeped Gavin out. He had _no_ interest in sticking his dick in that. There was always Grindr, but the thought of that just grossed him out because that's how he met Michael. Gavin didn't do relationships, but he didn't exactly like one night stands either. He liked to have time to get comfortable with his partner's body, to learn it, find out what made them completely unravel. That was hard to do in one night. It took he and Michael sleeping together for months before Michael finally confessed that he liked things rough and dirty. What was the point in getting off if the person you were having sex with wasn't enjoying it as much as they possibly could?  
  
Gavin flipped off his crotch because he was a dramatic bitch, and his dick wasn't getting any softer. His options were limited. He glanced over at Remy guiltily, like she somehow knew what he was thinking, and found her asleep, sprawled out with her squeaky toy still half in her mouth. Thank god. He didn't think he had the heart to kick her out for this shit. He stood up quietly, his socked feet helping as he snuck off to his bedroom and locked the door behind him like Remy was going to somehow grow opposable thumbs and walk in on him. Oh god. He was such a bad dog owner. What the fuck was wrong with him? He shucked his sweatpants and underwear in one sweeping movement. His shirt was already off, because this was his house and he could walk around topless if he wanted to. He crawled in his bed and made himself comfortable, and then for like a full minute just stared at his rock hard cock like a dumbass.  
  
Right. He was in here for a reason.  
  
It's not like jacking off was a new concept for him. For fucks sake, he was in his 30s. What _was_ new, was trying to do it after getting hard just thinking about his coworker. His android coworker. It's not like he was going to be jacking off thinking about _Connor_ , but that was what started this whole ordeal, and so it was just... weird. Okay, so maybe Gavin was _making_ it weird. He was just trying to get off. That's it. No need to make an orgy out of a boner (and he didn't care what anyone said, that was hilarious).  
  
He reached for his nightstand, pulling out a bottle of lube. Perks of being a gay guy, he guessed. He didn't have to skimp out and do this dry, or try to use some shitty Jergen's lotion to smooth the way. He could do this _right_. And yeah, some straight guys probably kt ept lube in their nightstand too, but this wasn't about them right now. He poured some lube in his hand and let it warm up. Or maybe he was stalling, and had no idea why. As soon as he felt like it was warm enough and wouldn't turn his dick into an icicle, he bit his lip and slowly covered himself from root to tip. Oh fuck.Yeah. This was a good idea. The downside was that Gavin was not the type that could just rub one out without thinking. Especially when he had spent practically a year not having to. Michael had literally never turned him down. He was always a phone call or text away and worked from home. He made his schedule work to fit Gavin's. And while Michael was a douchebag of epic proportions, he was great in bed. Having to suddenly pull something out of his spank bank for the first time in forever was harder than he thought. He absolutely _refused_ to think about Michael. After how he acted in the bar, regardless of how good the sex had been, that didn't even appeal to him anymore. There was Connor...  
  
No, no, no. _Fuck no_. Gavin was pretty sure that that broke a million friend codes. Yeah, he and Connor weren't exactly _friends_ , but he was pretty sure the rules applied. If there were actual rules. He hadn't really had many friends throughout his life, and yeah Chris was fucking great, but he had _never_ been attracted to Chris like that. Chris was family. But Connor... fuck. Connor was _hot_. He was normally nothing like Gavin's type at all, not that he really had a type. For one, he fucking hated when dudes were taller than him. It just reminded him that he was short. He also generally went for bulkier guys. He preferred blue or green eyes. But Connor was undeniably attractive. Gavin liked his cheekbones, his smooth, pale skin, his lips, oh _fuck_ his lips- okay he had _definitely_ not given his hand permission to start moving. Son of a bitch.  
  
He groaned in frustration, letting his hand fall to the bed and not even caring that he was getting lube on his sheets. He grabbed his phone with his none lubed up hand. He _could_ just call Michael... no, fuck that. He was _done_ and he wasn't about to backslide because he was thinking with his dick. There was always porn... but he had a particularly fucked up case one time, and it kinda ruined porn for him unless he vetted it, and he really didn't have time for that. He was _throbbing_ and so fucking frustrated that it was because of _Connor_. God, when did his life become such a shit show? Maybe he was right to have said that androids ruined everything.  
  
Would it really be _that_ bad if he thought about Connor? Maybe it was just this itch he needed to scratch, his curiosity about the whole android-sex thing getting to him. Maybe if he just caved, maybe if he just cleared the air of this sexual frustration...  
  
_Fuck it._  
  
Gavin took himself in his hand again, and slid his hand up and down agonizingly slowly. What _would_ sex be like with Connor? Would he be this clueless, bashful virgin? Nah, Gavin couldn't really see that. He was a little awkward sometimes, but he knew first hand that Connor was also a total badass too. He felt like Connor would know _exactly_ what he wanted, and wouldn't be afraid to tell Gavin exactly what it was. Oh _fuck_ he hoped he was a power bottom, and completely refused to think about the fact that he was _hoping_ for anything. This was just a jerk off fantasy, and apparently it was a fantasy that was really working for him, because he hadn't been this hard in awhile. But the thought of Connor... straddling him in this bed, and leaning down to kiss him (Gavin _liked_ kissing, okay?), his tongue gently teasing Gavin's lower lip until Gavin sighed into it, opening up his mouth just enough for Connor to push his tongue inside...  
  
Gavin was close, and he stopped himself with a frustrated groan. Fucking seriously?! He was seriously about to get off just thinking about kissing? Was he _twelve_?! Jesus fucking Christ. Time to get to the good stuff before he came all over himself like pathetic teenager. Connor _riding_ him. Yeah, that was much better, and his hand started up a steady pace again, precome beading at the head. Michael never liked to be on top, he liked sex far too rough to really get of on it. But this wasn't about Michael, this was about fucking _Connor_ , the android sent by CyberLife, and what Gavin _wanted_ it to be. And right now, Gavin wanted Connor to ride him. He thought about Connor's smooth skin, how it was so _warm_ and _soft_ , and how he could envision his hands roaming the seemingly miles of skin as Connor grinded down on his cock- and just like that, the tension finally snapped and Gavin was coming all of himself with a moan in thick, white spurts.  
  
When his dick finally stopped pulsing, he relaxed into his mattress and laughed, a little hysterically. Holy fucking shit. _Holy fucking shit_. He couldn't remember the last time he came that fast. Mother of _god_ he had issues. He cleaned himself up the best he could, and made his way to the shower, waiting for the shame and guilt to settle in... but it never did. Instead, he couldn't stop thinking about it, about whether or not there was any accuracy to his fantasy. Was Connor loud in bed? God he hoped he was. He hated the dudes that were so full of toxic masculinity that they stopped themselves from moaning. It was so _hot_ when they let loose and were confident in the sounds they made. But fuck... there he went again. _Hoping_. Like this shit was going to happen. Apparently he didn't scratch the itch, apparently he only _fed_ the curiosity, and it absolutely had not helped. Fuck! Why did CyberLife have to make him hot?!  
  
  
  
When Gavin arrived at work the next day, he was absolutely determined not to make things awkward. He knew he could. He found out he was gay by realizing he had a crush on his best friend in middle school. He was the king of being able to compartmentalize this kinda thing. Getting off to a coworker was nothing compared to watching the first person you had feelings for chase skirt while you sat there pining after them like a lovestruck character in a teen romance novel. And he _did_ feel like he had chilled out a lot after the long shower last night and then some really deep, much needed sleep.  
  
The first thing Gavin noticed when he got to his desk was that there was a steaming, full coffee mug. Not one of the shitty, cheap paper cups from the breakroom. He picked up the mug in confusion, and immediately laughed when he saw that in big, tacky letters, it read 'I ♥ My Pitbull". It was the biggest eye sore he had ever seen in his life. When he looked at his desk, he also noticed there was a bright blue sticky note that had been sitting underneath it. He set the cup down in favor of the note. The writing was neat, almost _too_ neat, and he knew immediately that it had to be from Connor. ' _I came in a little early today because I failed to mention that I won't be in until later because I need to take Hank to the doctor for a checkup on his leg. I got some research done and emailed everything to you. You can go over it until I return. P.S: You drink far too much coffee to continue using paper cups. Use this instead. -Connor_ ' Gavin snorted and shoved the sticky note in his desk. What a fucking dork. Did he really expect Connor to use this ugly ass mug? He shook his head with a grin, picking the cup up again and taking a sip out of it. Of course it was made _perfectly_. Apparently, being nice to an android had way more pros than cons.  
  
"Since when do you use a coffee mug?" Chris' voice suddenly asked. He plopped down in Connor's seat like he belonged there. Gavin rolled his eyes.  
  
"Connor apparently thinks I waste too many coffee cups. Leave it up to that dipshit to be a tree hugging hippie, huh?"  
  
"Well, he's not _wrong_. Maybe we'll actually be able to get a raise with the amount of money they'll save on the budget now." Chris leaned back in the chair with a grin.  
  
"Oh, fuck off. I'm throwing that thing out as soon as I finish the coffee." Gavin replied, turning the cup so Chris could see the writing on it. "I lOvE mY pItBuLl. Jesus, have you seen a cheesier mug?" He added with a laugh.  
  
"Aw, dude. You can't throw it away." Chris was serious. "He's trying to be nice. Just keep the damn mug."  
  
Gavin frowned at him. "He's not a child that made me macaroni art, Chris. He can handle me not liking the cup."  
  
"So what, you _don't_ love your pitbull?"  
  
"You know god damn well I love Remy." Gavin snapped.  
  
Chris shrugged and smirked. "Then the cup makes sense. Just use it. Don't be a dick. He wants you to like him."  
  
"You know, Tina said the same thing."  
  
"He's your partner, asshole. Of course he wants you to like him. Stop over thinking a damn mug of all things."  
  
Gavin sighed, finally sitting down at his desk. "Yeah, okay. I'll keep the mug. Since I go through so many cups."  
  
"Yeah..." Chris said. "The cups..." His eyes were dancing with mirth.  
  
There was absolutely no fucking way for Chris to know what happened the night before, but suddenly Gavin felt very exposed and called out. "The fuck is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It means you're becoming less of an insufferable grump. I have to admit, man. I like it." Chris said, standing and patting him on the back.  
  
"Are you trying to say I'm going soft?" Gavin rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh Gavin... you've always been soft." Chris said, winking mockingly and walking away as Gavin flipped him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would apologize to you all... but "slow burn" has been tagged in this fic since day one. ;)  
> (No, I won't drag it out more than necessary. But let's not rush our boys.)
> 
> God, I love, love, love writing Gavin's POV, especially his internal dialogue. It's so much fun. He's such a human disaster, the poor man. 
> 
> I think I mentioned this before, but I... am not capable of writing short fics. This fic WILL be long. It WILL have its ups and downs. There will be smut, angst, humor, everything. One of my fics is longer than Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. If you're not prepared for something like that, it may not be for you. If you _are_ prepared for something like that, I'm sending you all my virtual love. I love story telling, and I love that you're all on this journey with me. <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at our boy Gavin making big steps in getting the fuck over himself. :')

Connor was pleased with how Hank's doctor's appointment turned out. The doctor expressed that Hank needed to allow them to put a cast on so that his break would heal properly. When he doctor asked Hank if he had been using his crutches, he lied and said he was until Connor glared at him, but the doctor only lectured the lieutenant for a little while and asked that he start using them as he became more active in his recovery. Hank didn't seem to be too happy about basically being politely told he was being too lazy since the break, and was even less happy that he hadn't been given the approval to drive yet, but Connor just let him rant on the way home and by the time they arrived, he had calmed down. He also told Connor to just start using his car for work until the doctor let him him drive. Connor preferred to take a taxi, but he knew Hank was being kind and accepted the offer and thanked him before helping the older man inside and giving Sumo a belly rub before heading back to work.

Connor stopped just outside of the police department, hesitant to enter. What had Gavin thought of the coffee mug he had got him? He was a little worried that he was pushing the boundaries of their newly forming friendship a little hard, but he had seen the mug at the store when grocery shopping for Hank and it had immediately made him think of Gavin. Gavin _did_ go through an absurd about of coffee cups during his shift, generally having to empty out the small trashcan next to his desk at least once a shift. Connor felt like the mug was a more approachable tactic than suggesting Gavin just use the same paper cup all shift long.

When Connor finally arrived at his and Gavin's desk, a smile spread over his lips. Gavin's feet were up on his desk like usual, and he had one hand on his keyboard and the other was holding the mug in his lap. "Hello, Gavin." He greeted pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you're enjoying your new coffee mug." Connor took his seat, the smile still on his face.

Gavin opened his mouth to reply, and Connor could tell by the way his eyebrows furrowed that he was most likely getting ready to say something negative, but instead he sighed and replied "Uh, yeah. Thanks. You know, for the mug. It was, um, thoughtful. I guess." He took a sip of his coffee and added "You don't have to be such a kiss ass though." Connor laughed. Old habits died hard, but at least it was progress. "How's Anderson?"  
  
"The doctor believes he's well on the way to recovery as long as he starts using his crutches to move around. I convinced him to finally let the doctor put a cast on his leg instead of just using the boot because it will speed up his healing process. He wasn't happy about it, but he's very bored without work and begrudgingly agreed so that he would heal faster."

Gavin scoffed. "And I'm sure you're ready to get your partner back so you're not stuck with me." He avoided Connor's eyes and Connor frowned. He was always so self deprecating.

"Working with you hasn't always been pleasant, but it hasn't always been bad either. How else would I know what a hangover feels like?" Connor teased.

Gavin laughed and took his feet off his desk, placing his coffee cup next to his keyboard. Connor liked making him laugh. He was wearing a burgundy sweater today, the sleeves surprisingly pushed up to his elbows, revealing his tattoos. It was a nice color on him."You can actually thank Tina and Chris for that one, not me. I read the files you sent over, and I was thinking about the two android victims. Was there anything that could have tied them together other than them being androids? Like their models or whatever? Maybe we could take a trip to CyberLife and ask them some questions today."

"CyberLife no longer exists as you know it." Connor replied, impressed by the idea. Gavin was so much smarter than he gave himself credit for. "The CEO stepped down after the revolution and they asked Elijah Kamski if he would like to take the title again. After some discussion, he essentially handed the company over to Markus. He had handcrafted Markus as a caretaker android specifically for a friend after he had been in an accident. That friend has since died."

Gavin snorted and rolled his eyes. "Why do I find it hard to believe that a guy like Kamski would have friends?"

"Most likely because it does seem like a bit of a stretch." Connor replied a little bitterly, still only having negative memories involving Elijah. "The mass production of androids has ceased for the time being while Markus focuses mainly on improving the lives of currently living androids. But he still had access to all of CyberLife's files and information prior to the revolution. We could pay him a visit instead. He may know some information on the android victims that was revealed after I... no longer worked for CyberLife."

"What?" Gavin shifted uncomfortably. "Like go to that place they call Jericho? Am I even allowed there?"

Connor smiled. "Humans were never banned, Gavin. The security was put in place for the protection of the androids there, not to necessarily keep human's out. I have full clearance to access Jericho, and you would be with me." Gavin avoided his eyes again, his fingers fiddling with his computer mouse. **[[Analyzing Gavin Reed... unsure. Slightly nevous.]]** "You don't have to go if it would make you feel uncomfortable. You could continue to work from your desk and I could go to Jericho."

"I fucking _hate_ being stuck behind a desk." Gavin muttered. "I'll go, as long as it's not gonna be all weird for me to be there. I'll drive."

"A squad car?" Connor asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Gavin groaned dramatically. "Yes, I'll take a fucking squad car this time, tin can. But only because if I behave enough I think Fowler will take it easy on me. I think he's expected me to have a mental breakdown because of the whole Dea case. He uh... he knows how I feel about the system failing kids, especially since I had a first hand experience with it when I tried to call the cops on my dad." Gavin's face shifted into a scowl, and Connor registered the increase in his heart rate.

Connor frowned, not like the obvious distress that Gavin was under but seemed to ignore. "How are you, Gavin?" He asked softly. "With everything? Your arm, Dea's case, this case, everything."

"I'm.... fine. I'm taking care of the arm injury so it still fucking hurts but it's looking better everyday. Earlier while you were taking Hank to his doctor's appointment I got questioned about the shooting, and I'm pretty sure they know I didn't just completely off a guy and only did what I had to. I guess I'm a little stressed or whatever, but I don't need a babysitter, dipshit. I'm fine. I'm just ready to solve this case so things can go back to normal."

Connor was taken off guard by the sinking feeling he experienced. That statement had... hurt. "By normal, you mean going back to being partnered with Chris?"

"What? No, I didn't even mean-" Gavin tripped up on his words, clearly not even sure what he meant himself. "I mean I miss working with Chris, but I meant working more open and shut cases that don't make me feel like a dumbass. Fuck whoever this killer is. Who is this good at getting away with murder?" He paused for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip. "I didn't even think about the fact that once we solve this case you wouldn't be my partner anymore." His eyes were scanning Connor's face carefully, and Connor tried to keep his facial expression neutral, but it was difficult to when he suddenly felt relieved to know that Gavin wasn't itching to get rid of him. He smiled at Gavin and Gavin scowled. "Are you trying to fish for compliments? Because it's not working." It was. "You're not _that_ bad, but you're still a pain in the ass." He wasn't. "But Chris isn't going to make me coffee and be all nice and shit." Connor could still do that even if they weren't partners. Gavin was blushing, and Connor tried to ignore the fact that it made him want to touch Gavin's face, to feel the skin heat up under his fingertips. Why did he want to do that? Why was there always this thrumming urge to touch Gavin when he wasn't being unpleasant? He had acted on that urge one before, when he had gently ran his thumb over the scar on Gavin's nose when he asked him about it.

Craving touch was a very new concept for Connor. Before he became a deviant, it wasn't even something he really registered unless he became injured to the point where it was affecting his stability or interfered with his mission. He would register his system performance and how much thirium he had lost, but beyond that he never registered touch. The first time he truly noticed it was when Hank hugged him for the time. He registered that it was warm and comforting, that it felt nice. He later registered how petting Sumo was relaxing and how it made him happy to know he was making Sumo happy. Then he started noticing how often humans used touch. People meeting for the first time shaking hands, clasping someone on the shoulder when they were proud of them, hugging to show affection, couples holding hands and kissing. It was fascinating how often humans touched one another. Connor could understand why. It was grounding and pleasant. Touch often said things when words fell short. The first time Hank hugged him, he immediately knew that he meant more to Hank than just a coworker, that Hank cared about him outside of just being partnered together.

But what did it mean that he wanted to touch Gavin? It could easily be dismissed as just a byproduct of Gavin being the only other person outside of Hank that Connor spent a lot of time with. But it was... it was different than Hank. The touch he was craving was different. His eyes darted to Gavin's lips on their own accord, and he felt his own cheeks heat up.

"You alright?" Gavin suddenly asked, snapping Connor back to reality. Gavin was staring at him in confusion, his eyebrows tented in concern. It was cute. Seeing Gavin be concerned about him was _cute_ , and something fluttered in Connor's stomach. He blushed further. _Why did he have the urge to kiss Gavin?_ **[[System stability ↓]]**  
  
"I'm fine." He frowned, his LED flickering to red for a moment. "At least... I think I am. I'll contact Markus and see if he's available for guests." His LED flickered back to blue and swirled as he sent the message directly to Markus.  
  
"Wait, what do you mean you 'think' you're fine-"  
  
"Markus replied and said we could come now." Connor stood abruptly, ignoring Gavin. "He's very busy, we should get a move on."  
  
  
  
Nearly the whole ride Gavin complained about how much he hated using a squad car, and when he wasn't, he was looking at Connor. Connor knew that Gavin knew he had intentionally ignored him, and ignored the discussion about what he meant by only thinking he was fine. But Connor wasn't sure what was wrong with him, and it was a discussion he didn't feel like having. When they pulled up to the gate, there was a small crowd blocking their path, and Gavin slowed the squad car to a stop. He refused to use the self driving option. "What the fuck is this?" He muttered, squinting through the windshield at the people chanting and waving signs in the air.  
  
Connor sighed. "Anti android protesters. They're here often. One of the many reasons for the gate and security."  
  
"What the fuck? Why doesn't Markus ever call the cops on them? They have a right to protest, but they can't be up on the gate like this, blocking an entrance. It's private property. If they're going to be dicks, they at least have to be dicks on the sidewalk." He flipped on the squad car's lights and beeped the horn. Some of the protesters turned around, and one even flipped him off, but most ignored him and continued their chanting.  
  
Some had their hands on the gate, shaking it, and Connor's LED flickered yellow. "We could always come back tonight. I got lucky the last time I was here, it was dark out and there were no protesters."  
  
"Fuck no." Gavin snapped. "These fuckers are going to move." He put the car in park. He looked over at Connor, he's eyes resting on Connor's LED. "Uh, you might want to stay in the car."  
  
Connor smirked. "I can handle a few protesters, Gavin."  
  
Gavin shrugged. "Suit yourself." He climbed out of the car, his hand reaching for his badge, and Connor followed him.  
  
The protesters were chanting things like "Shut them down!" and "They're not alive!", their signs having similar wording, and Gavin grimaced. "Fucking assholes." He mumbled before raising his voice. "This is Detective Gavin Reed from the Detroit Police Department!" He held up his badge high enough for all of them to see it. The chanting stopped, and the small crowd turned to look at him. "I am calmly asking you to disperse."  
  
"We have the right to protest!" A man yelled back at him angrily.  
  
Gavin's jaw flexed and Connor smiled, knowing he had the urge to roll his eyes. "You're absolutely right, you do have the right to protest...in a public place. You're all currently on private property, and you're also blocking entrance to Jericho which is hindering an official investigation. So your options are to either fucking _move_ , or I can call for back up and have every single one of you arrested. The choice is yours." It was enough to deter some of the protesters, and they scurried off nervously, but a few remained, glaring at Gavin angrily, their eyes periodically darting over to Connor.  
  
The same man from before spoke again. "They're even working for cops now." He sneered to those remaining, looking at Connor. "Why don't you try to arrest me and see what happens, officer alloy?" He taunted Connor.  
  
Gavin took a step forward, putting himself between Connor and the man, and a feeling of warmth settled in Connor's chest. Gavin was preparing to protect him if he needed to. It was an unneeded gesture, Connor could have easily taken down the entire crowd, nevertheless the few protesters remaining, but the gesture was still sweet. "Listen, asshole." Gavin growled. "I'm not in the mood for this today. We're just trying to do our fucking job, and you're in the way of this. Go home before someone gets hurt. Oh, and spoiler alert, it's not going to be either of us."  
  
The protesters exchanged nervous glances and crept away, leaving only the single man still standing there, leering at Gavin. "How can you defend them?" He snapped.  
  
Connor was expecting Gavin to throw some witty insult at the man. What he wasn't expecting was for Gavin to reply "My job is to serve and protect, and I get that not all cops take that seriously. But I do. That includes serving and protecting the android population. They're people now." Connor was thoroughly impressed, and he was once again having the urge to just _touch_ Gavin. The man gave one last disgusted look to Connor and Gavin before stalking off. Gavin sighed, his shoulders relaxing. He glanced around, making sure no one had just pretended to leave and was hiding out, and he gestured to the car, climbing back in. Connor did the same, unable to take his eyes off of him. Gavin put the car, finally looking over at him and frowning. "I know what you're thinking, so just shut the fuck up, okay? It's like I said, you're not all that bad, so maybe the rest of you plastic pricks are the same." Connor just smiled at him. " _Stop_ looking at me like that!" He pulled up to the scanner just in front of the gate. "So is there like a secret password, or-" Connor leaned over the center console as far as he could, placing his hand on Gavin's seat just next to his thigh to steady himself. Gavin froze. **[[Analyzing: Nervous. Heart rate picking up.]]** "What the fuck are you _doing_ -"  
  
A red light flashed on the scanner, zeroing in on Connor's LED before turning green, and the gate began to open. "Security clearance." Connor explained, but didn't move. Their faces were close, and Gavin licked his lips and swallowed hard, staring into Connor's eyes without blinking. His eyes were soft but nervous, and Connor glanced down at his lips for a split second before sliding back into his own seat. Gavin just gaped at him. Interesting. "The gate is open now, Gavin."  
  
Gavin shook his head, and his face shifted, his cocky facade back in place. "Yeah, well I'm the one driving, dipshit." Connor smiled as he pulled into Jericho.  
  
  
  
"Isn't this the asshole that tried to kill you?" North was back from visiting Kara, and was leaned against the wall of Markus' office, glaring daggers through Gavin.  
  
"Be nice." Josh laughed from one of the chairs near by. "He obviously failed-"  
  
" _Both_ of you be nice." Markus interrupted from his computer chair. It still fascinated Connor how often he used a computer like a human instead of just holding his palm to the screen like Connor did. He wondered if it was because Markus had spent so much time with Carl before his death. Markus had been alive a lot longer than Connor had.  
  
Gavin was sitting next to Connor on the couch, his posture tense and his knee bouncing. It was most likely the first time he had ever been in a room where he was the only human, and he looked particularly distrusting of North. He finally spoke. "I, uh... well, a lot has happened since then."  
  
"He's my partner now." Connor added. Simon had been scrolling through a tablet in his chair next to Markus, and his eyes snapped to look up at Connor at the same time that all of Jericrew did the same. "At the DPD." Connor explained immediately.  
  
"Oh, whew, I thought we were gonna have to give you 'the talk', Con." Simon said with a grin.  
  
Gavin spoke quietly, just to Connor. "What does he mean-" He stopped talking when Simon leaned forward and gave Markus a quick peck on the temple because Markus was eyeing him disapprovingly for teasing Connor. "...Oh." He blushed.  
  
"So, I ran the names of the two android victims in the CyberLife database." Markus spoke up. He swiveled his chair so that he was facing Gavin and Connor. "Both different models. One was created to be a house keeping android, the other was a service android that worked on a cleaning crew at a hospital. There doesn't appear to any connection to them. Sorry, Connor."  
  
"It's alright, Markus. Thank you for taking the time to see us." Connor replied with a smile.  
  
Markus rolled his eyes fondly. "We'll always make time for you. I've been trying to tell you that."  
  
"Even if you do bring unexpected company with you." North added, her eyes flickering back to Gavin.  
  
"You're one of the androids from Eden Club." Gavin finally said in awe, making the connection.  
  
"That's right. You were there during that investigation." North replied. "Why, you got a problem with that?"  
  
Gavin made a face. "Why would I have a problem with that?"  
  
North crossed the room and plopped down in the chair directly in front of Gavin, not taking her eyes off of him. "Because I was just a 'sex robot'. Humans don't even treat other _human_ sex workers with respect. I can only imagine what you think of me, of what I was used for. Or what you think of the androids that have decided to stay at Eden Club since the revolution. Humans don't seem fond of those that sell their bodies."  
  
Gavin just looked at her in confusion and Markus opened his mouth to tell North to stop, but Gavin spoke first. "Sex workers aren't selling their bodies. They're selling a service, just like any other service worker."  
  
North suddenly smiled and turned to Connor. "I think I might actually like him, Connor."  
  
Connor laughed. "He was a few redeemable qualities-"  
  
"Hey! I'm-"  
  
Connor ignored Gavin. "That's all you have, Markus?" He asked, turning to Markus instead.  
  
Markus held up his hands in defeat. "I'm afraid that's all. You'll know we'll help out with the investigation in anyway we can. So, anytime you need anything stop by. But that's all we have right now."  
  
"So, you run CyberLife now?" Gavin suddenly questioned.  
  
"Not quite." Markus replied. "CyberLife, or the company you knew as CyberLife, doesn't exactly exist anymore. They tried to remain in business after the revolution, but despite it being a trillion dollar company, no one really wanted the responsibility of what it could mean to be in charge after the revolution. That's when Elijah Kamski contacted me about it. He felt like I had 'earned the right' to make future decisions pertaining to androids after leading the revolution, and while he stepped down as CEO years ago, he still owned the company. He handed it over to me. After what they had planned to do with Connor, I wanted to shut the company down entirely, but still felt like the information and technology they had was vital. I cleaned house, and while CyberLife is no longer a company for android purchasing, the technology and warehouse are still fully operational and being used to help with the quality of android lives and citizenship."  
  
Gavin looked over at Connor. "What they planned to do with you?" He asked quietly, almost like he felt like he was being invasive.  
  
Connor straightened his tie, a staple back in his outfit since Gavin had returned it. "CyberLife had created my prototype with the intention of me being a puppet. I was the first android whose full consciousness could be entirely transferred to a new body, memories and all, and I was one of their most intelligent designs. I was designed after the first cases of deviancy, because with the appearance of deviants, CyberLife always knew that an uprising could be a possibility eventually. They felt like if they could control me, then they could at least control the direction of the revolution if it happened. I was even supposed to kill Markus for attempted the revolution, but I became a deviant."  
  
"We took them down." Markus added. "From the inside. We shut down any production until we could take a look at it and approve it. We had to ensure that there was no way they could take back over in Connor's mind, or do that to any other androids."  
  
"But if you took that part of CyberLife down, that means that if one of you dies..."  
  
"Then we stay dead." Connor finished for him softly. "There's no more coming back." Connor smiles at Gavin weakly. "No more me coming back as ghost."  
  
Gavin frowned. "And you guys are okay with that?" He asked Jericrew.  
  
Simon spoke this time. "No one is okay with knowing about that inevitability. But it was the only way we could ensure there would be no infiltration that would destroy everything we worked for in the revolution." He grabbed Markus' hand, lacing their fingers together. The skin on their hands receeded to showing white. Their LEDs swirled in sync, so bright blue they almost looked white themselves.  
  
Gavin stared at their hands with interest. He opened his mouth to speak, and Connor was expecting something insightful, but all he said was "Fuck." Connor and Josh laughed, North rolled her eyes, and Markus and Simon smiled at him.  
  
"Is there anything else we can help you with?" Markus questioned.  
  
"I think that's it?" Connor pondered. "But thank you for your help. I'll be in contact with you if anything changes." He stood up and Gavin followed suit.  
  
North stood up and walked over to Connor, pulling him into her arms. "You'll be in touch regardless, dumbass. We miss you."  
  
Connor hugged her back, and could feel Gavin staring at him. "I miss you too."  
  
"Come get drunk with us!" Josh exclaimed from the corner. "Markus really knocked it out of the ballpark with the android alcohol."  
  
"Yeah, Connor knows that all too well." Gavin muttered with a smirk. Connor shot him an unimpressed look.  
  
They said their goodbyes, and Connor was pleased at how much more relaxed Gavin had become since when they first entered Jericho. He knew his friends were a great example of _good_ androids that Gavin needed to experience to lessen his bias even more. He couldn't wipe the smile off of his face, and Gavin must have noticed because when they got back to the car he asked "What has you all smiles?"  
  
Connor just shook his head, still smiling. "I think my friends like you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Writing Connor being touch starved? It's more likely than you think.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which Gavin continues to be an absolute himbo. How does Connor put up with him?

Gavin was pissed. No, he was _furious_. It had been days since he and Connor had visited Jericho, and they didn't have shit on the murder case. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. While he was thankful there had been no new bodies, the case was growing colder, and that meant that some asshole killer was getting away, probably laughing at the DPD while he or she covered their tracks. It was Gavin's day off and he still couldn't stop working. He was taking his medication (reluctantly), but he wasn't sleeping again, hadn't ingested anything but caffeine, nicotine and cold pizza in days, and his entire living room was covered in case files, crime scene photos, and even one of those cheesy ass boards with the red string connecting clues. Remy has even been pouting in her dog bed because there was no room for her on the couch. Gavin was probably on the verge of losing it (or maybe already had), but he had never been on a case that he hadn't been able to solve in all of his years at the DPD. It was a little reassuring that Connor was equally as stumped and he was the perfect little android detective, but it only helped a little. Because... Connor was an issue in and of himself.

Gavin had fucked up. Using Connor for a jerk off fantasy has seemed innocent enough at the time (that was a lie, but maybe if Gavin kept telling himself that he would actually believe it), but his little plan to indulge his curiosity and dip a toe had severely backfired, because this was the longest Gavin had been without sex in a long time, and it was _all_ he could think about. But fuck, Connor was _hot_ and that wasn't Gavin's fault not even a little bit. He had always been attractive, but Gavin never wanted to admit it, and now that he had admitted it to himself, he couldn't stop noticing it every time he looked at the fucker. He was even fairing so poorly that he hadn't gotten hard at his desk the other day just thinking about Connor's little act of taste testing the crime scene all that time ago, and he didn't even _want_ to think about how fucked up that was. But when he thought about Connor putting evidence in his mouth, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about him putting _other_ things in his mouth and-

Jesus Christ. He was a psychiatrist's wet dream, wasn't he? Every level of fucked up imaginable.

The real cherry on the whole situation was everything going on at work outside of the murder cases. He was questioned by a few more higher ups about the shooting. And Gavin got it. He really did. They had to make sure he wasn't just some trigger happy prick that used his gun when it wasn't needed. He understood that, and he was glad that the DPD actually did shit like that to try to weed out the bastards that shouldn't be carrying a badge, but reliving the ordeal over and over again sucked. He would never admit it to Connor, but the tin can was right. Killing someone fucking blew. Even if they did deserve it. It fucking sucked and he was the one that did it, and now he had to be the one to (not) deal with it. Which involved a lot of _what could I have done differently?_ scenarios. Which shocked the hell out of Gavin, because not that long ago he had pointed a gun at Connor with every intention of painting the evidence room in blue blood, and not once had he thought about what he could have done differently. All he thought about was how Connor was an android, and androids deserved to die. It was ridiculous how everything could change in the blink of an eye.

A lesser, but equally annoying factor at work stressing him out was Julia. She was nice and all, but god could she not take a hint. She still came by his desk and flirted almost every single day, practically begging Gavin to ask her out. He had considered telling her she was barking up the wrong tree, but he wasn't ready to completely out himself just yet. Chris, Tina, and Connor knowing was more than enough people knowing he was gay for now. Julia could easily tell the whole department, and Gavin liked his privacy. He also liked to live in his delusional little bubble where he chose to believe that wouldn't be an issue for anyone. There were less homophobes in the world than there used to be, but they still existed and he really didn't feel like breaking anyone's nose anytime soon for saying some dumbass remark.

Gavin was staring at the case file in front of him, but he wasn't absorbing any of the information. He already knew it by heart anyway. But thinking about dickhead homophobes had gotten his brain derailed on an entirely new topic, Simon and Markus. He wasn't sure how android sexuality worked. Were they even technically gendered? They identified as genders, and that was enough for him. There was a little part of him that was slightly jealous of how freely Simon had kissed Markus on the temple, not a single fuck given even though they didn't even know Gavin or how he would react to two dudes being sappy. That had to be a little...freeing? Gavin didn't do the whole dating thing, but if he _did_ , he wasn't sure he could ever be that open, and it fucking sucked. All it took was his dad putting two and two together and calling him a cocksucking slur one good time for him not to have any interest in that. The beating he got after replying that he _was_ a cocksucker, and a great one at that, had _almost_ been worth it just because of the look on his father's face. He may be gay, but at least he would never cheat on someone he was dating, or put his hands on them. So, his dad's opinions could fuck right off, but that kind of thing stuck with a person.  
  
Gavin's phone pinged, and it was a welcome distraction. It was a text message from Tina that said **_> Stop workin on ur days off. < _** Gavin laughed and decided to pick up a conversation with her. **_< How do you I'm working?  
  
> Ur always working. U never stop. & u look like shit because of it. <  
  
< Aren't you supposed to be working? >  
  
> I am. Slow night believe it or not. But Connor's not working. U could hangout. ;) < _** Gavin frowned. He knew he was overthinking it, this was just Tina being Tina... but it did seem like she was encouraging him to spend time with Connor a _lot_. She started out just wanting him to be nicer to the guy, but he was now. And she was still trying to push them to hangout more.  
  
**_ < ...why are you using a winking emoji to say that? >  
  
> Y not? < _** Another text came in before he could reply. **_ > His # is the same as his model #. The text will go directly to him. <  
  
< Who said I wanted to text him? >  
  
> I did because I know this case is driving u crazy. It's probably driving Connor crazy too. < _**  
  
Gavin sighed. She was probably right. Connor was probably just as frustrated at he was about the case. He didn't know at what point he had remembered Connor's model number, but he found himself typing it in his phone. **_ < What's up, tin can? > _** His phone almost immediately rang, causing him to jump. What kind of psychopath called when they could text? He picked up anyway. "Uh... hello?"  
  
"Hello, Gavin." Connor replied. Gavin smiled. He could hear the smile in Connor's own voice. "I'm walking Sumo right now, so talking is easier."  
  
"I didn't even know you had a phone. I've never seen you use it." He could hear a large dog panting in the background.  
  
Connor laughed. "All calls and texts go directly to me. I don't need a phone."  
  
"That's... fucking weird. Like you see and hear all of it in your brain?"  
  
"Yes. I'm sure that does seem a bit weird, but it's a lot more private."  
  
Gavin had to admit that was pretty convenient. No one could go through your phone or hover behind your shoulder to read your messages. He had a few completely inappropriate memes in mind to send Connor now. "So, uh, how was work today without me?" He didn't understand why Fowler didn't completely line their schedules up instead of just putting Gavin on days full time for the duration of the case, but he wasn't about to complain about it and get thrown back on nights.  
  
"Boring." Connor replied with a sigh. "I didn't make any progress, and at least work is more amusing when you're around."  
  
Gavin grinned and shouldered his phone so that he could move around some paperwork and lie down on the couch. He could literally hear Remy huff from her dog bed. Drama queen. "So, you _do_ think I'm funny." He said to Connor.  
  
"You have your moments, as much as I hate to admit it."  
  
"Aww. It sounds like you missed me, Connor." Gavin teased, the grin still on his face.  
  
"I did." Connor replied, like it was nothing. The grin dropped off of Gavin's face. How did he just _say_ shit like that? Like it wasn't weird? "I have a feeling you're blushing now." Connor added.  
  
"I- what- I don't _blush_ , dipshit."  
  
"You're a terrible liar. It's incredibly easy to make you blush, despite your little facade of being full of yourself."  
  
Gavin scoffed. "Oh yeah? Then go ahead. Try to make me blush, asshole."  
  
"I liked your leather jacket, but I can't say I miss it. You look better with less clothes on."  
  
Gavin could _hear_ the taunting smirk in Connor's voice, and he _hated_ how he could feel his face heating up at how low Connor's tone was. The fucker was flirting with him. He may not realize it, but he was _flirting with Gavin_. "Uh, yeah, nice try. Didn't work." He lied.  
  
"That's unfortunate." Connor hummed, most likely knowing he was full of shit. "Watching you get flustered over compliments is fun."  
  
Gavin groaned, trying very hard not to thinking about the fact that he was half hard in his jeans over Connor's _voice_ and a little bit of flirting. He _had_ to cut the fantasy's out. It was majorly fucking with his head. "I never thought about the fact that when you blush, it would be blue." He replied, trying to direct the attention away from himself.  
  
Connor's tone was unimpressed. "Well, that would make sense, wouldn't it?" He was no fun. Unlike Gavin, he didn't even bother trying to pretend like he didn't blush.  
  
Gavin's hand was idly playing with his waistband. He really needed to get laid. But _Connor_ needed to get laid too. And it gave Gavin an idea, because Gavin had been curious about what Connor had meant by Julia not being his type for weeks now. "So, have you tested out anymore of your updates yet?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You said you wanted to have sex. Have you?" Gavin was resisting the urge to dip his hand underneath his waistband and god dammit he needed to _stop_.  
  
"...no..."  
  
"What do you say we change that?" Connor was quiet for a very long time, and Gavin realized what he said had not sounded the way he wanted it to. "Oh fuck. N-not like- I'm not suggesting _we_ sleep together." _Unless you want to._ a little voice in the back of his head supplied. Fuck that little voice. "But uh, I could take you to Eden Club tonight if you wanted to go." Gavin had never paid for sex and never would, but he wasn't above spending money so that a friend could get laid. He wasn't going to think about the fact that he considered Connor his friend now. It was a stupid thing to fixate on, but he was ridiculously curious about what Connor's type actually was, and trying to set him up would be the perfect way to find out.  
  
" _You_ want to go to Eden Club?" Connor asked skeptically.  
  
Gavin laughed. "I don't need Eden Club to get laid."  
  
"According to you, it shouldn't be hard for me to have sex. I don't think I particularly need it either." Connor almost sounded... irritated?  
  
Gavin sighed. "Wanna go to a bar then?"  
  
"It sounds like you're asking me to hangout, Gavin." The smirk was apparent in Connor's voice.  
  
"Is that a problem?" Gavin frowned.  
  
"No... it's not. Just a little surprising."  
  
"I'm full of surprises." Gavin was pretty sure his dumbass would have winked had this conversation been in person. "I can pick you up. Uh, if that's okay. I know where Hank's house is."  
  
"That's fine. Just give me approximately 15 minutes."  
  
"That works for me. Just lose the android jacket for tonight, okay? We're trying to get you laid, not harassed." Gavin hung up unceremoniously so that he wouldn't say anything else stupid, and started getting ready.  
  
  
  
Pulling up at Anderson's house felt weird. Gavin had been there a handful of times, mostly to drop something off for work, but that had been years ago. Hell, that been when Cole was still alive, before Hank spiraled out of control. What was even weirder was pulling up at Hank's house for _Connor_. Gavin reached for his phone to text Connor that he was there, but didn't even have time to hit send when the front door was flying open and Hank was hobbling out on crutches, Connor following behind him, looking apologetic and trying to stop him.  
  
"Fuck." Gavin muttered under his breath, rolling down the window. "Lieutenant Anderson!" He greeted, all fake pleasantries. "What can I do for you?"  
  
Hank hobbled up, staring absolute daggers through him. Jesus, if looks could kill. "What fucking game are you playing at Reed?"  
  
"Hank-"  
  
"Not now, Connor." Hank snapped. "I'm talking to this fucker, not you."  
  
Gavin's hands flexed on his steering wheel. "What game?"  
  
"That's what I'm asking _you_." Hank positioned his crutches so he could point at Gavin. "Why the fuck are you trying to hangout with Connor outside of work?" Connor stood behind him and mouthed a sad 'I'm sorry' to Gavin.  
  
Gavin wanted to snap. He wanted to go off on Hank, ask him who the fuck he thought he was talking to. Maybe make a snide remark about how Connor was a big boy and could do whatever the fuck he wanted. But he didn't, for Connor's sake and for his own. He didn't want to make this harder than it needed to be because even though he hated to admit it, he _liked_ Connor. The android no longer had a stick up his ass and was no longer CyberLife's little puppet, and he liked him. He liked that Connor got along with his friends and called him out for his bullshit. He liked that Connor took their job seriously and worked his ass off. He liked that Connor was a dog guy and gave Remy the love she deserved. He wasn't about to ruin all of that because Hank was in over protective dad mode.  
  
He sighed. "Calm down, old man. I'm not playing some game, alright? Turns out I was wrong about androids, and they're not all a bunch of alloy dickheads. Connor and I-" He swallowed, bracing himself for the relentless teasing he knew he was about to set himself up for. "Connor and I are friends or whatever, I guess." Connor was staring at him, well, more or less gaping at him in awe. Oh yeah, he was getting teased for this one.  
  
"Since when the fuck do you have friends?" Hank growled.  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes. "Chris and Tina must be a figment of my imagination, I guess."  
  
"Listen, if you're planning something-"  
  
"Is it really so hard to believe people can change?" Gavin interrupted him, leveling him with a hard stare.  
  
"People? No. You? That's a different story. You've been a little shit since you started at the department."  
  
"If I remember correctly, when I first started you mentioned something about me reminding you of yourself when you were my age." It was true. Anderson was always riding his ass, even in the beginning. But it was because he wanted to push Gavin to be better, and Gavin was _trying_ to be better.  
  
Hank sighed. "I'm watching you, Reed."  
  
"I'm flattered, Lieutenant." Gavin responded with a wink.  
  
Hank turned to Connor. "If he tries anything, you let me know."  
  
"I can assure you I'll be fine." Connor said softly, clasping Hank on the shoulder encouragingly.  
  
Hank just mumbled something under his breath and started making his unsteady way back into the house. Connor crawled into the passenger seat, a smile lighting up his face. "So, we're friends now, huh?"  
  
"Shut the fuck up, tin can." Gavin said, laughing and pulling off.  
  
  
  


Gavin was a good friend. He didn't care what anyone said. He completely drove out of his way to a bar that not only served android alcohol but was also very pro android. He did his research, and was relieved to see that it paid off when he saw the flashing of some LEDs when they entered the bar. He was glad to see that Connor wasn't the only one that had kept his LED. A lot of androids were ripping them out right and left,which was actually a little understandable when they were getting treated differently. He had even made Connor lose the tie, unbutton a few buttons, and roll up his shirt sleeves so he would look less out of place. The extra drive was worth the look on Connor's face too, that soft, sweet smile when he realized what kind of bar Gavin took him to. His soft, warm eyes were the only thank you that Gavin needed. When Connor first came back after the revolution, he didn't get it. He didn't get why his coworkers were nice to Connor, why they included him in their jokes or activities, but he did now. Being on the receiving end of that smile felt... nice. Connor had a nice smile.  
  
And for some reason, upon that realization, Gavin suddenly felt like trying to get Connor laid was a bad idea. What if the person was a dick? What if they gave him shit for being a virgin, or they did something he didn't like? Oh god, what if he got turned down and someone hurt his feelings? Gavin had seen Connor give the puppy dog eyes before, to both Hank and when he was questioning someone. Gavin wasn't sure he could handle seeing that up close. Gavin pushed the thought out of his head and motioned to an unoccupied booth in the corner, having Connor grab it while he ordered drinks for them.  
  
Gavin took his seat across from Connor, sliding him the glass of neon blue alcohol. "So... I guess we're going to try to get you to lose your v card, huh? I guess if I'm going to help with this, I'm going to need to know what your type is." _Real smooth, Gavin._ "Do you have any preferences? Human? Android? Male or female? Nonbinary? Anything at all?"  
  
Connor narrowed his eyes at Gavin and took a hefty gulp of his drink before replying. "I... don't know. I don't exactly have anything to compare to, Gavin."  
  
Gavin held up his hand in surrender. "I get it, okay? But you gotta know what you find attractive, right?" Connor's eyes swept over Gavin for a moment and holy fucking shit did he just imagine that? No more fantasies. Nope. None. His head was _fucked_. "Like... uh for instance, I'm really not all that picky. I should probably be pickier, to be honest."  
  
"You're really of no help, are you?" Connor muttered, pulling out one of his patented bitch faces. Between that, and the sass dripping from every word, Gavin couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"I like a sense of humor. People who are too serious are boring. If you can make me laugh, it goes a long way." It was probably a dumb comment to make after Connor had just made him laugh.  
  
"I like when people are kind."  
  
"Connor... if someone's trying to get into your pants, of _course_ they're going to be kind to you. Being nice is like the _first_ they're going to do. Here, just look around the bar." Gavin motioned around the bar. It was pretty crowded, which Gavin fucking hated, but this was about Connor, not about him. "Is there anyone that catches your eye?"  
  
Connor's LED swirled yellow for a moment as his eyes scanned the room. His eyes finally rested on a gruff looking guy with a beard that was seemingly human (Gavin wasn't sure if he had seen an android with facial hair before?) and a pretty blonde who still had an LED. His eyes flickered back and forth between the two for a moment before he finally spoke. "She's very pretty. And I like his facial hair."  
  
Gavin's hand reached up to subconsciously scratch at the stubble on his face as he replied. "Okay, good, that's a start." Leave it up to Connor to choose two complete opposite looking people. He would have to make a joke about bisexuals not being able to make up their mind to Tina when he told her about this. Maybe Connor wasn't bi, because there was a hell of a lot in between gay, straight, and bi, but she would appreciate the joke, and appreciate the fact that he was hanging out with Connor. "So, who do you want to try first?"  
  
"You want me to have sex with both of them?" Connor asked, his eyes shooting back to Gavin and his LED swirling rapidly.  
  
"What? No, I- I mean if you want to- fuck." Gavin scrubbed his hand over his face in frustration. "Listen, sometimes when you try to hook up with someone, you strike out. They're not interested. You just move on and try someone else." Gavin couldn't exactly imagine Connor striking out. Yeah, he was a little awkward, but he was attractive and charming, and literally probably the nicest living being Gavin had ever met. If either of them were interested, the woman would probably melt over how sweet he was, and in the least the guy would probably think Connor was prime twink material. Which was _hilarious_ to Gavin, because Connor had completely kicked his ass without even trying, and Connor's manners and kindness definitely shouldn't lead to such assumptions. "You're going to have to approach one of them and talk to them. Like flirt with them. Let them know you're interested. The girl will probably be easier, I don't know how lumberjack over there feels about dudes or androids. I mean, if he's here he's obviously pretty okay with them, but that doesn't mean he wants to sleep with one."  
  
"Like you."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Connor rolled his eyes impatiently. "You're here. You're _beginning_ to be 'pretty okay' with androids. But you don't want to sleep with one."  
  
Gavin swallowed hard, and before he could even process the words they were spilling out of his mouth. "I wouldn't, uh, but opposed to it exactly."  
  
Connor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You really have changed, haven't you?"  
  
"Shut the fuck up." Gavin growled, trying to ignore the fact that he may or may not have blushed. "Just go hit on her, alright? You said she was pretty. Go tell her that." This was a terrible idea. Gavin had no fucking clue how to coach someone on how to hit on women. Tell her she smelled nice? Wait, no, that sounded creepy. Probably even creepier coming out of Connor's mouth. Connor just glared at Gavin for a moment before sliding out of the booth, and approaching the female android with his drink in hand. "Offer to buy her a drink!" Gavin hissed before he got out of earshot.  
  
Connor approached the bar that the android was leaned against, and fuck, he actually looked really smooth. Not nearly as awkward as Gavin was expecting. Gavin smiled, taking a sip of his beer, and resisting the urge not to make an internal joke about watching him grow up fast. The android turned to greet Connor and a welcoming smile lit up her face. Oh, yeah, she was definitely interested if the look in her eyes and how they looked Connor up and down meant anything.  
  
Gavin looked down at his drink and flexed his jaw, not realizing he had been grinding his teeth. Connor would be fine. He was a big boy. If he got rejected he would get over it, and if she did something Connor didn't like, well, he was sober this time around and would let her know. So, why did Gavin suddenly feel so.. over protective? Connor could handle this. Gavin glanced back over at Connor and the other android. She was tossing her head back, laughing at something Connor said while he smiled at her reaction. She was flirting back, her hand on Connor's arm while she looked at him like he was the most interesting thing in the world. Gavin gripped his beer so tight that his knuckles turned white, and he tried to swallow but his mouth was far too dry. There was this biting feeling at the pit of his stomach that felt _wrong_ and he didn't know what his fucking problem was.  
  
And then it hit him. Gavin was _jealous_. He was jealous of the easy, comfortable way that she touched Connor, like she was familiar with him when she didn't even _know_ him, and like she was doing it with the intention of knowing him _better_. It was jealousy rearing it's ugly head, clawing at him like a caged animal and it was fucking _stupid_ , because who the fuck was Gavin to be jealous? What gave him the fucking right to be jealous of her gentle touches, when he had only ever touched Connor with the intent to _hurt_? The fingers of Gavin's free hand tapped against the table anxiously, and the suddenly the bar felt so fucking small, so fucking _loud_ , and he grabbed his drink, heading for the exit to smoke a cigarette as everything felt like it was closing in on him.  
  
He felt a little better once he was outside, and better still when he took the first drag off of his cigarette, but his heartbeat was erratic and his breaths were coming out more like gasps, and he was so fucking _hot_. He sat back against the top of a picnic table that was on the bar patio because he felt dizzy. Why the fuck was he _jealous_? That made no god damn sense. A few fantasies and daydreams about what it would be like to fuck Connor shouldn't equate jealousy because someone else might. He was crossing over into very dangerous territory where he was mixing up fantasy and reality, and he should have _known_ this was a bad idea. Jesus, it was text book common sense to not cross the line into sexualizing someone who was both your friend and coworker. There was no fucking excuse for it, he knew better, he knew that it wasn't just trying to kill curiosity or scratch an itch, he was just fucking stupid and thinking with his dick, and he was way too fucking old to be doing that and-  
  
"I feel like if I lecture you about smoking, I'm only going to be wasting my breath." Connor had stepped outside. His hands were in his pockets, and he looked concerned, his LED wasn't swirling, but it was yellow. His voice was reproachful, which made sense because if Gavin looked as bad as he felt, he probably looked like shit.  
  
"Yeah. You would be." He snapped, taking an unnecessarily long hit of his cigarette just to spite Connor. "You come out here to tell me you're going home with blondie?"  
  
Connor chuckled humorlessly. "Not exactly."  
  
Gavin glared at him, a little disbelieving. "Oh yeah? She was _clearly_ interested."  
  
"She was." Connor shrugged. "But it turned out that I wasn't." He paused for moment, biting his lower lip. "Why do you care?" He added softly.  
  
Gavin stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray aggressively. "Well, that's why we're here isn't it?" His voice was angry and he wished he could stop it, he wished all of this would just _stop_. Connor took another step toward Gavin, and Gavin fucking _hated_ how soft his stupid fucking whiskey brown eyes were. How he looked at Gavin like he was something worth looking at, because he had no fucking clue just how fucked up Gavin was. He had no clue the things Gavin had been thinking about doing to him, about doing _with_ him, and Connor had never asked for _any_ of it. Gavin was just a selfish asshole that only cared about getting himself off, and Connor didn't deserve to be thought of that way.  
  
Connor cautiously sat back against the picnic table so they were next to each other, so close that Gavin's skin crawled and it took every ounce of control he had not to jerk away or lash out, and he pointedly stared at the ground. "That was the intention of coming here, yes." Connor shrugged again. "But I was perfectly fine with us just... hanging out."  
  
Gavin scoffed, his eyes still trained to the ground. "You pussy out already? Jesus fucking Christ, tin can. A little early in the game to be calling it quits."  
  
Laughing softly, Connor looked at Gavin fondly. Gavin could see it out of the corner of his eyes. "While I _would_ like to have sex, I'm in no rush, Gavin. I want to experience all of what it means to be alive. There's a lot to experience, and sex is just one of very many things. When it happens, it happens." He paused thoughtfully. "I'm not entirely sure I would want to have sex with a stranger. I realize that sex means different things for different people, human and androids alike, but that's one thing I think I'd rather experience with someone I actually _know_. It also felt a bit odd to try and sleep with someone when I haven't even kissed someone."  
  
Gavin finally looked up at Connor, their eyes meeting. They were so close. _Too fucking close_. Gavin could count each individual eyelash Connor had if he wanted to, and his eyes slowly raked down Connor's face and rested on his lips, a little indention still there from where he had bit his lip earlier. Connor had never even been _kissed_ , and Gavin was once again being a dumb asshole and trying to pressure him into having sex with someone. And Connor didn't want to fuck a stranger, because of course he didn't, it was _Connor_. At one point CyberLife had been in control of him, of his body. It made sense that he wouldn't want to jump in the sack with just anyone. Gavin's eyes snapped back up to meet Connor's, and he felt even worse. Fuck, he really was a shitbag, wasn't he? "What do you say we get out of here?" He murmured softly, draining the rest of his beer just to put some distance between their faces.  
  
"Of course." Connor agreed.  
  
They made their way back inside and through the bar. Right as they reached the door to leave, a drunken couple stumbled in front of them, and Gavin cursed under his breath, but didn't say anything to them. The guy was an android, his LED still intact, and the girl was either human or had removed hers. They were looking at each with such love and adoration in their unfocused eyes that Gavin couldn't bring himself to snap at them. They were arm in arm and giggling like someone had given them the fucking moon, and Gavin didn't get it, didn't get the appeal of relationships, but they seemed happy. The couple turned, realizing that they had cut Gavin and Connor off, and apologized, scurrying to the door and holding it open as they exited so that Gavin could grab it, holding it open for Connor. The couple stumbled in front of them, half dancing, half walking, singing some cheesy love song to each other and Gavin wanted to barf. Apparently, so did a passerby, because he angrily muttered something about a 'robot fucker' under his breath. Gavin stopped abruptly, holding out his arm to stop Connor as realization hit him.  
  
"Holy shit. _Holy fucking shit._ Connor... what if the victims weren't just pro android?"  
  
Connor tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Fuck! I can't believe I just thought about this! I'm such a god damn idiot!"  
  
"Gavin-"  
  
"Shut the fuck up, Connor, and just hear me out. What if the common factor in all the murders is more than just being pro android? What if all the human victims were romantically involved with androids, and all the android victims were romantically involved with humans? We already know one victim's fiance was an android that had taken her LED out." Gavin was speaking too fast, matching his quickening heartbeat but holy shit. What if this was a break in the case? "We've questioned the significant others of those that had one listed, but people are still dicks about this sort of thing."  
  
"Which means that they could have been involved with someone, but kept it quiet." Connor muttered in awe, his face lighting up like he was unbelievably proud of Gavin, and it made Gavin want to squirm. "Shit." Gavin almost wanted to laugh at hearing Connor curse so nonchalantly. "I think you just made a break in the case, Gavin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when Gavin told Michael he wasn't the jealous type? (longest laugh in the world.)
> 
> I'll reply to comments soon!
> 
> This chapter kicked my ass. I wrote it out three or four different ways originally, and even had to consult some friends on the topic. It almost ended very differently, but after awhile I realized that what I originally had planned was out of character for how I've been writing Gavin, and even though the chapter was done, I hated it, and kept rewriting it until it felt more natural. The downside to letting a fic write itself is that sometimes it just... doesn't come out the way you want it to, and I refuse to post a chapter I'm not happy with. But hey! I made it past all that so we're in the clear.
> 
> I also may or may not have commissioned artwork for this fic. ;) And I'm SUPER fucking excited about it. More details when I know them. Kristina, if you're reading this, I blame you completely, and I mean that in the most loving way possible.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had only about nine hours of sleep in three? four? days, so naturally I'm writing chapters back to back. Whoops. Pardon any typos. Insomnia can fight me.

Connor awoke from sleep mode the next day and his first thought was that if he knew one thing for certain, it was that Gavin absolutely did not get a wink of sleep the night before. Connor was endlessly proud of him for making the potential connection about their case, but he knew that it meant Gavin would have stayed up all night trying to prove his theory correct, and would probably be at work early, running solely on caffeine and his obsessive need to solve the cases he was assigned. He would probably go through enough coffee to keep a tranquilized elephant awake, and not take a single break or eat anything, and it was unfortunate that it was Connor's day off so that he couldn't help lighten the load. Captain Fowler was adamant about people not working overtime on particularly bad cases so that it wouldn't affect mental health and overall productivity, and while Connor understood and respected that decision, it was hard staying away when they might actually be able to move the case forward if Gavin was right.

Grateful that Hank was still asleep, Connor went through his morning routine, petting Sumo a little more than normal because he was anxious for Hank to wake up. Hank had been incredibly upset over Connor spending time with Gavin, which from his perspective _was_ justifiable and understandable. When Hank had last been at work, Gavin still completely hated androids, and he had been furious that Fowler had assigned Gavin the case because it was still fresh in his mind that Gavin had tried to kill Connor. Connor understood that perfectly. It's not like he would ever forget that either, but Connor had also personally experienced the change he was seeing in Gavin. The Gavin that tried to stop him in the evidence room was not the same Gavin that he had been spending time with. Gavin was different now, and Connor knew it wasn't an act because he still had his slip ups. There was still that angry, aggressive man buried in Gavin somewhere, but he was _trying_. He was making an active effort to do better, to _be_ better. If Connor could accept that when he was the one that had been attacked by Gavin, then Hank would have to learn to accept that as well. It would just take time. Hank was very protective of him, it was how he showed that he cared, but maybe after some time, Hank would learn to forgive Gavin. The anger he was harboring was hurting himself more than it was actually hurting Gavin, and perhaps Connor would be able to eventually get him to realize that.

When Hank finally woke up and stumbled into the kitchen on unsteady crutches, Connor immediately ran an analysis in his worried state. **[[Analyzing... Irritable. Approach with caution.]]** "Good morning, Hank." Connor greeted softly from the couch. Sumo had tried to cram himself between Connor's knees because he wasn't supposed to be on the furniture, and he was eating up the extra attention Connor was giving him, slightly drooling on Connor's knee.

"Mornin'" Hank muttered dismissively. When he made his way to the kitchen for his breakfast and coffee, Connor didn't follow him.

"Do you think he's still angry with me?" Connor whispered to Sumo. The dog made a quiet, but deep, throaty bark that sounded more like 'boof!' and wagged his tail at Connor, but offered no help otherwise.

Hank finished his breakfast after a few minutes and hobbled into the living room, collapsing down on the couch next to Connor. Connor was proud of him for actually listening to the doctor's orders and using his crutches, regardless of how much he had been complaining about them. The older man sighed heavily, and Connor braced himself for either a lecture or argument, and his LED flickered red for a moment.

"So... how the fuck did you and Reed end up being all buddy-buddy?" Hank finally asked. He was looking at Connor disapprovingly, and it made Connor feel bad, but did not make him regret his budding friendship with Gavin.

Connor thought for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure _how_ they had become friends. It was almost as though the more time they spent together, the better they got along. The nicer Gavin became. "I suppose it was just the close proximity of us working together, much like how you and I became friends. I think being partnered with me made Gavin realize that his prejudice against androids wasn't justifiable, and he sort of... let up on being so aggressive and angry towards me."

"So, what? You're trying to say that he's not still a dick to you?" Hank questioned, his eyebrows raised.

Laughing, Connor replied. "I think that may be a staple in his overall personality. But it doesn't harbor the same anger or hate as before. He's significantly nicer now. He...treats me as his equal." Connor continued to stroke Sumo's fur, it was soothing. "I know you don't like him, Hank, and I understand why perfectly. But he really has changed."

Hank scoffed. "It's not exactly that I don't like him, I just can't stand the way that fucker treats people. Always acting like he's better than everyone else."

Connor's hand paused on Sumo's head. "That's honestly likely the last thing he thinks. He doesn't often think too highly of himself, regardless of how he may act."

"He wasn't always like that." Hank muttered. "I remembered when he first joined the DPD. Shit, he was still a kid basically. Had some dumb ear piercing in the top of his ear, and an even dumber haircut that was all long on top until Fowler kept riding his ass to get it cut. He followed me around the department like a lost puppy with stars in his eyes. The little shit looked at me like I was the coolest thing he had ever seen. He was always going out of his way to try and help me. Absolute kiss ass. But after Cole... after Cole died and I started drinking a lot it was like he became a completely different person. Looked at me like I was the scum of the earth."

Connor didn't feel like it was his place or his right to reveal any of Gavin's past, so he carefully worded his response, and hoped Hank wouldn't ask him to elaborate. "He... doesn't like when people use alcohol as a coping mechanism." Connor explained.

Hank snorted. "Yeah, not many people do."

"He's not all bad." Connor pressed. "Just like anyone, he has his own issues. Maybe more than the average person. But under this mask he's created for himself, he's actually very kind. Did you know he has a dog? She's a rescue pit bull. Her name is Remy. I'm pretty sure he likes her more than most people."

Laughing, Hank shook his head. "No, I didn't know that. Reed was always been really private. Even back when he was a rookie. He's never decorated his desk, never really talked about his life outside of work. Is that what really won you over? He has a fucking dog?"

Connor smiled at Hank, relaxing now that Hank was less angry and actually willing to talk about Gavin instead of just yelling and asking Connor what his problem was. "I wouldn't say that's what won me over... but it may have been a factor. I think the way that people treat animals says a lot about them as a person."

Hank narrowed his eyes at Connor, and Connor felt his LED flicker nervously. **[[Analyzing... suspicious.]]** "You really like him, huh?" Hank asked slowly, looking at Connor oddly.

Connor fidgeted uncomfortably, straightening Sumo's collar. He did. He really liked Gavin. He was beginning to like him more everyday. "I certainly like him more now than I used to." He replied softly. Hank was still eyeing him oddly, and it made Connor's skin crawl. Hank my not be able to analyze things like an android, but he still had his own way of analyzing situations, and that's exactly what he was doing. But why was that making Connor so uncomfortable? He tried his best to be as honest with Hank as possible, he didn't feel like he had anything to hide. Connor tried to draw the attention away from himself. "He told me that when he first joined the Detroit Police Department that he looked up to you. He would probably kill me if he knew I was telling you that."

Hank burst out laughing. "Yeah? Well, just know that if he ever puts his hands on you again, _I'll_ kill _him_."

Connor and Hank were watching a movie later that day, but Connor couldn't focus. No matter how hard he tried to redirect his attention back on the film, his brain kept wandering back to Gavin. He ran a diagnostic test on himself and everything came back fine, so he didn't feel as if he should be concerned, but he couldn't stop thinking about how Gavin had acted at the bar. Gavin had been the one so adamant about Connor 'getting laid', and yet when he had engaged with Aine, the female android, Gavin had abruptly stormed out of the bar, and was clearly upset when Connor had found him outside. Aine had been nice, and Gavin had been right, she was very interested in Connor leaving the bar with her. But the moment she had suggested it, the first thing Connor had thought about was _Gavin_ , and how it didn't feel right to leave him at the bar, even if that was what Gavin had brought him there for. Gavin was actually really thoughtful when he took the time to be. The bar he had taken Connor to was 45 minutes and 17 seconds away, much further away than necessary, but he had chose that bar because of how android inclusive they were, and because he wanted Connor to be comfortable. The sweet action had caused that annoying, fluttering feeling in Connor's stomach again, one he was getting more and more frequently around Gavin. But it had been the worst it had ever been at the bar, especially when they were outside. At first Connor thought it had been anxiety because Gavin was clearly irritated when he stepped outside, and Connor felt like he might snap and regress back to his negative behavior. But even as Gavin calmed down, the feeling increased, especially once they were standing close. When Gavin had finally looked up at Connor after Connor mentioned that he had never been kissed, Gavin's eyes had almost immediately been drawn to Connor's lips, and there was a split second when he thought that Gavin might kiss him.

And Connor had wanted him to.

It would have been so easy, so simple to bring their lips together with how close they were standing, with how much tension was in the air. Connor knew it should have felt wrong to want Gavin to kiss him, but it didn't. It felt overwhelming _right_ , like if anyone was supposed to be kissing him, it was supposed to be Gavin. He had to force himself into sleep mode that night because he couldn't slip into it naturally. He couldn't stop thinking, his LED wouldn't stop flickering and swirling. Would Gavin kiss rough and aggressive like his personality? Or would he kiss soft and hesitant like the personality he slipped into when he felt vulnerable? Would Connor be able to feel Gavin's stubble on his skin? Would Gavin touch him, or just use his lips? Would it just be a quick, simple peck or would they be unable to stop once they started? The questions still haunted him, and the thought process was very awkward to have with Hank on the couch next to him.

As soon as the movie ended, Connor stood up abruptly, alerting Hank that he was going to visit Markus. Hank teased him about being a 'social butterfly' lately, but told him to have fun, and left it at that. Connor messaged Markus that he was coming over before he even got out the door.

It was very hard for Connor to drive the speed limit on the way to Jericho, and he found himself fidgeting with his coin anxiously in the elevator while he waited for it to reach the top floor. **[[Software stability ↓]]** He needed to know. He had to ask Markus if it was the update clouding his judgement, making him feel this way, or if it was _real_ , because one was significantly more terrifying than the other. Gavin was his coworker. Gavin had tried to kill him. Gavin had hated androids. Gavin had _just_ started to like him. He shouldn't be thinking about how badly he wanted to kiss him, how badly he wanted to touch him, in every single way possible.

"Please, please be the software update..." Connor whispered to himself as the elevator door opened up.

Markus was in his office, just like he normally was. Josh and Simon were nowhere to be found, but North was lying across the couch, tossing a ball up in the air and catching it, looking incredibly bored. Markus immediately spun his chair around, looking concerned. "Are you okay, Connor? You don't look well." The statement made North sit up, her face immediately mirroring Markus' in concern.

"I have a few questions about the update you gave to my programming." Connor mumbled nervously, pocketing his coin.

"Of course." Markus replied, gesturing for Connor to take the seat next to his desk. "Are you having issues?"

Connor took the seat, even though he wasn't sure he would be able to sit still. "I... I'm not sure. That's what my questions are about. Can the update make me feel and think differently?"

Markus tented his eyebrows in confusion. "No, not really. It wasn't designed to do that. It was designed to help broaden the range of emotions and help you place them a little better, but it was more of an enhancement, so to speak, than a real change. You should still be thinking and feeling things naturally. Why?"

Oh no. It wasn't the update. This was 100% _Connor_. "Since the update... I've just been feeling differently. It's overwhelming, to say the least. I've been thinking about things, about people that I shouldn't, feeling ways that I shouldn't. I thought...I thought maybe it was the update?" He suggested hopefully, already knowing the answer.

"The update shouldn't be changing anything that extreme." Markus replied. "Let me run a quick diagnostic on you to make sure it's not malfunctioning, or affecting you differently than its been affecting us." He offered Connor his arm, and Connor immediately grasped it at the same time Markus grasped his, their synthetic skin receding to white as Markus scanned Connor's programming. Their LEDs swirled in sync. "You seem to be fine." Markus added, letting go of Connor's arm as his skin reappeared. "What's going on, Connor? What's wrong?"

Connor chewed on his bottom lip nervously. He would obviously get less judgement from the Jericrew than Hank, but he wasn't even sure where to start. Luckily he didn't have to, because North suddenly gasped from the couch, a look of realization on her face. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the cute detective, would it?" Connor immediately felt his cheeks heat with a blush, and for once he wished Markus would have deleted that feature. "I knew it!" North cheered, clapping her hands together. She looked over at Markus smugly. "I won the bet. I get to be the first one to try android food when the prototype is done."

"What bet?" Connor asked, glaring back and forth between the two of them.

Markus grinned sheepishly. "After you and Detective Reed left the other day, North mentioned that she thought that... well, you might like him. I argued that I didn't think that was the case, so she wanted to make a bet on it."

"Am I really that obvious?" Connor questioned North, completely mortified. What if Gavin _knew_ he had been having these thoughts?

"Oh, no." North responded quickly. "I think the only real reason I noticed is because I didn't take my eyes off the two of you the moment I realized he was the one that you told us about that tried to shoot you."

"Some of us trust your judgement better than others." Markus muttered with an eye roll.

"Hey! He tried to kill him! Was I supposed to _not_ be suspicious?" North snapped at him.

"It doesn't _matter_." Connor interjected, a little more aggressively than necessarily. It was rude, but Connor couldn't help it. If these feelings towards Gavin could have been blamed on the update, it was simple. He could have just had Markus uninstall it. But it wasn't the update. Connor just liked Gavin. A _lot_ , and in more ways than he would like. That couldn't just be uninstalled. His feelings for Gavin were 100% his own, and there was nothing he could do about it. His LED flashed red. **[[Software stability ↓]]**

North frowned and stood up, coming over to take a seat closer to Connor. "Aw, Con. It's okay. We're not judging you.We don't care that he's a human. It's okay that you have a crush on him." She said softly, putting her hand on top of his.

"But it's _not_ okay, North." Connor said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's _plenty_ of reasons it's not okay. We work together. He's my partner. He _barely_ likes me at all. I can't.. I can't want more when us being friends was more than I ever thought I was going to get in the first place."

Markus smiled sadly. "We can't choose who we develop feelings for. It just happens. Elijah Kamski wanted to us to mimic humans entirely, and humans develop feelings in the same exact way."

Connor groaned in frustration. "Out of all the humans and androids in the world, _why_ did it have to be _Gavin_?"

"I can't exactly blame you." North said with a grin. "He _is_ a little dreamy. He has this whole tortured soul, bad boy vibe about him. It's sexy as hell."

"Please stop." Connor begged her, giving her an unimpressed look.

"Am I wrong? Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm wrong." North faked offense.

"You're _not_ but I have to _work_ with that." Connor moaned. He turned Markus. "Is there anyway you can go into my programming and delete-"

"Christ, Connor." Markus interrupted, shaking his head. "Absolutely not. I can't go in and selectively delete memories or thoughts or feelings, and even if I _could_ , I wouldn't. I didn't lead the android revolution and take the role of the android leader to play god. That's unnatural. Stop being mellow dramatic." Connor frowned sadly, and Markus sighed. "I get it, okay? He's the last person you want to have feelings for. I remember all the things you've told me about him. Trust me, I wish it was someone different too. Hearing you say you have feelings for someone, it's like watching my little brother grow up. But unfortunately, those feelings _are_ for Detective Reed, and you have two choices. You can either act on those feelings, or you can push through it. You're alive now. There's no rewriting your programming and starting over. There's not an easy way out anymore. It's one of the prices we pay for being deviants."

Connor frowned again (Hank would definitely classify it as pouting) and looked down at his lap. "He can't ever know. I'm actually enjoying being friends with him, and I think he is too. He can never know."

North squeezed his hand and let go. "And that's okay, if that's what you choose to do. We'll be behind you 100% of the way." She gave him a teasing grin. "But if you choose to change your mind, I want all the details, because I'm not kidding that man is _hot_ -"

"North, I was specifically trained to be a killing machine by CyberLife, and I can and _will_ use that against you if you don't shut up." Connor stopped here. Both she and Markus laughed, and Connor felt a little bit better. Maybe having feelings for Gavin wasn't the end of the world. Maybe nothing had to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, but I _had_ to give young!Gavin Neil Newbon's ear piercing and hair because I adore Neil with my entire being. I also love the idea of Gavin and Hank previously having a great work relationship, but when Hank started drinking heavily, it scared the shit out of Gavin because it reminded him of all the trauma with his dad, so he did a complete 180 and started being a dick because... what is actually processing your emotions? We don't do that here.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which the boys make progress on their case, and Connor is the sweetest android around.  
> Meanwhile Gavin is chugging dumb bitch juice. 
> 
> Gavin does something stupid in this chapter. If it's not your cup of tea, it's pretty easily skipped over and you don't have to worry about it again, because he realizes pretty quick that he's a dumbass.

Gavin chewed on the cap of his pen, just to stop himself from grinding his teeth. He had made a connection with almost every single victim, there was just one that was stumping him. It was the last remaining human victim, and there seemed to be nothing tying him to any sort of romantic or sexual relationship with an android. Gavin had tried everything he could think of, even going as far as to contacting Eden Club and making a few threats despite them being adamant about protecting their client's confidentiality. The guy had never been to Eden Club, and while things like he social media wall made it clear that he was pro android, nothing could be said beyond that. He just appeared friendly towards androids and showed his support of them, but there was nothing to suggest that in his down time he might be sticking his dick in one.

"Wow, do you even blink when you're at work?" The sound of Julia's voice caused an automatic spike in Gavin's blood pressure, and he didn't need an android's state of the art analysis to tell him that, because he could feel the irritation boiling under his skin. Julia sat down on his desk like she always did, and he grabbed for his ugly ass dog mug so that it wouldn't go toppling over.

"I'm working on a case, Julia." He muttered, trying to keep his tone neutral. He had a lot of respect for her as a coworker, but Jesus fucking Christ, as a human she was annoying as _shit_. Had the tables been turned, she probably would have turned him in for making her feel uncomfortable a long time ago.

"Sounds to me like you're overworked." She hummed with a flirtatious smile. "Why don't we blow off some steam when you get off?" She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Speaking of getting off..."

"Shouldn't you be staring at some blood slides or something?" Tina had appeared, her hand on her hip and a scowl on her face, and Gavin breathed a relieved sigh. Never had she looked more like an angel than this moment. "I know for fact Fowler asked you to look at that case involving the baseball bat to rule out self defense. I can't submit all my paperwork until you do."

Julia shot Tina a dirty look, and hopped off Gavin's desk. "Got it, Chen. I'll send it over before lunch. There's no need to worry." She stalked off through the bullpen to whatever corner of the DPD she lurked in.

"Thanks." Gavin mumbled gratefully, as soon as she was out of ear shot.

Tina took Connor's vacant chair, giving Gavin an unamused look. "You _could_ just tell her you're not interested. Or lie and tell her you're seeing someone. If I have to walk by your desk and see one more pathetic attempt at heterosexual advances, I'm probably going to puke."

Gavin sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that that wouldn't stop her?" He reached for his mug, frowning at the reminder that it was empty.

"Cute cup." Tina mused, one of her all too knowing smile playing across her lips. It took a lot for Gavin not to chuck the mug at her head. "You sure as shit didn't buy that eyesore. A gift from the department's android hunk?"

"Ew. Can you please stop referring to him like that?' Gavin grimaced.

"Whaaat? I have eyes, Gavin. Connor is _dreamy_ -"

"If you think he's so hot, why don't you ask him out?" Gavin snapped.

The smile on Tina's lips spread bigger, and Gavin scowled at her. "Jeez, fine, Apparently you're the only one that gets to ogle him-"

"I don't fucking _ogle_ him-"

"I mean if you're not going to make a move-"

"Why in the _fuck_ would I make a move-"

"Hey! Are you two idiots getting paid to work, or gossip like a bunch of teenage girls?!" Fowler had apparently left his office to grab some coffee, and was not pleased with what he was seeing on his way back.

Tina raised her hands in surrender. "I'm actually on break. Just wanted to see how Reed was doing with his case."

Fowler rolled his eyes. "Last time I checked, discussing who is or isn't trying to seduce the department's equipment has nothing to do with a case."

Gavin saw red, and before he could stop himself, a response was spewing from his lips. "He's not fucking _equipment_ , asshole."

Tina flinched in his peripheral, and Fowler immediately tensed, his eyebrows shooting up. He stepped closer, sticking his finger in Gavin's face. "The only reason I'm not going to say shit about that is because you've finally stopped bitching about temporarily replacing Hank and being Connor's partner. But watch your mouth, Reed." He walked off, mumbling something about getting no respect and both Gavin and Tina relaxed.

Tina observed Gavin for a moment, and he pointedly went back to glaring at his computer screen. She opened her mouth to say something, but must have thought better than to do so, and instead stood up and walked away, squeezing Gavin's shoulder as she did so. Gavin exhaled when she left, not realizing he had been holding his breath. He was used to Tina teasing him, it was a solid percentage of their relationship. But when she teased him about Connor, it was different. He knew there was absolutely no way for her to know he _was_ actually lusting over Connor, but it still hit too close to home, because Gavin was trying to stop that, really fucking hard. It was just unfortunate as fuck that none of his jerk off fantasies outside of Connor were really doing it for him, and the thought of a random hook up just wasn't appealing right now. He knew whiskey dick was a thing, maybe he had the same thing... but like with caffeine and sleep deprivation.

Gavin continued to stalk the victim's social media, looking for anything that might lead to his theory. With all the other victim's tied into it, it was still a start, but if he could tie _all_ of them to it, this would be easier. Maybe there was a hook up app for android-human relations? Or maybe they were meeting at the same rallies, or maybe-

Gavin hadn't even realized anyone had walked up behind him until a paper coffee cup and bag were dropped on his desk. He looked up to find Connor smiling at him, that annoying, sweet, teasing smile that made Gavin want to roll his eyes. "The fuck?" He questioned, staring at the cup and bag and really not trying to jump to conclusions about why the logo on them was from his favorite bagel place, or why Connor was there on his off day.

"I was visiting Markus, and on the way home happened to drive by this place. Seeing as I know you well enough to know that the coffee and bagels from there is one of the only things I've ever seen make you smile, and you probably haven't ate or slept since your little epiphany at the bar, I figured this would be the best way to get you to eat." His LED swirled, and Gavin knew he was using his little invasive robo shit. "Though I probably shouldn't have gotten the coffee. Your pulse is too high."

"You mean, this is-?" Gavin cut himself off to open the bag, and sure enough, it was a bagel _exactly_ the way he ordered it, and if the smell of caramel wafting off the drink was anything to go by, it was his exact order too. Of course, Connor had been right, and Gavin's stomach immediately rumbled when he unwrapped the bagel. "Fuuuuck. Oh my _god_." Gavin moaned around the first bite, a little too loudly because anyone near them in the bullpen shot him very disturbed glances. He flipped them off in favor of savoring his bagel. "I could fucking kiss you right now." He added dreamily after swallowing. Connor tensed and frowned, and Gavin panicked. "It's just- I don't mean literally- I just- you know what, fuck you." He said taking another bite.

Connor relaxed and laughed, eyeing the mug on Gavin's desk. "You liked you gift." He muttered in wonder.

Gavin rolled his eyes. "To be honest, it's the ugliest thing I've ever seen." Connor frowned again, and god damn, those puppy eyes. "But I, uh, I like it. I'm using it ain't I?" He took a huge gulp of his macchiato. Of course it was perfect, and he tried not to think about how he never wanted to marry someone more than he did in that moment, dramatics aside. Maybe he would actually be interested in dating dudes and not just fucking them if they did shit like this. "What are you doing here? It's your day off."

Connor just shrugged and motioned towards the breakfast. "I figured I would stop by and see how you're doing on the case. I can't work on it with you on my off day without Fowler threatening to deactivate me, so bringing you breakfast is a good excuse as any."

Gavin snorted. "Fuck Fowler. Don't ever change, tin can. Keep doing shit like this, and you'll never get rid of me."

Smiling brightly, Connor responded with "I can't imagine why I would ever want to." The teasing was still there, but the comment was warm and sincere, and Gavin tried not to choke on his bagel. Imagine that. Connor actually liked having him around. Dumbass. Gavin probably should have called him that out loud, or at least made some self deprecating joke, but he didn't. "You know the fact that we're only getting one day off a week is bullshit, right? You should go home."  
  
"While that's true, Fowler did try to shorten the length of our work days and encourage us to leave our work at the DPD when we're clocked out. It's just until we solve this case. And I don't exactly need downtime, or time off. I was designed-"  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Gavin interrupted. "You're the perfect little android, I know. But everyone needs time off. That means you too, asshole. Go play with Anderson's dog or something." Connor looked hurt, and Gavin felt like the world's biggest dick. "I'm not trying to kick you out. I'm just saying I haven't really made any progress, and-"  
  
Connor ignored him and plopped down at his own desk, holding his hand to his computer screen. The skin on his hand receded to reveal that eerie white that Gavin couldn't take his eyes off of. He wondered how that would feel wrapped around his- no, no, no. Mental spray bottle. Not gonna think about things like that. Not anymore, and especially not at work. "You're wrong." Connor mumbled quietly. "You've connected nearly all the cases to your theory."  
  
"Stop working off the clock, dipshit."  
  
Connor gave him an unimpressed look. "Are you really one to lecture someone on that?" Gavin just mocked him and shoved more of his bagel in his mouth. Connor smiled at him and just shook his head. "You're far too hard on yourself. You're a good detective. But this is a skilled killer. Seeing as Hank couldn't be here to work on the case, you're the obvious choice when it comes to giving it to someone that could solve it."  
  
Gavin felt himself blush to his utter disgust. "Oh goddd, shut the fuck uppp." He whined, hiding his face behind his coffee cup to chug the rest of it.  
  
Mirth danced behind Connor's eyes as he grinned. "I mean, you did graduate top of your class, moved through the ranks quickly-" Gavin threw the empty cup at him, and Connor caught it, laughing. He stood up. "I guess I should be on my way."  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Gavin growled, wishing his face would cool down. "You know, you could have just texted me and reminded me to eat."  
  
"Would you have?"  
  
"No... but like... you don't have to do this nice stuff for me, dumbass. I'm over being a dick to androids. I'm not going to hit you again."  
  
"That's not why I do it."  
  
"Yeah?" Gavin narrowed his eyes at Connor. "Then why do you do it?"  
  
Connor's LED flickered to red for a moment, and he frowned for a split second before forcing a smile. Gavin _hated_ his fake smile. It was like he was initiating some protocol or something, it was so unnatural. "I'll see you tomorrow, Gavin." He said cooly, leaving Gavin to finish his bagel. The dumbass had even gotten the amount of cream cheese right.  
  
  
  
Gavin had tried not to. He had really tried not to text Michael. But honestly... he was fucking weak. He had even reinstalled Grindr and dicked around (both literally and figuratively) for a little while, but nothing was helping. Sexting and jerking off only helped things but so much, and he was craving a warm body. Fuck, he was starting to sound like a serial killer, not someone who hunted them. He had even tried to call up Chris to hangout as a distraction, but Chris had a date (hell was freezing over), and Tina had only lectured him on how maybe it wasn't _sex_ that he was craving, maybe it was something more, which has led to him immediately hanging up on her.  
  
Which meant 45 minutes later, Gavin caved and was standing outside of Michael's shitty apartment. And no, he really shouldn't be judging him for the apartment, because in all honesty, the only reason Gavin had been able to afford his nice ass house was because after his dad died some sketchy lawyer showed up and apparently there was more money left to him than he thought was possible. But everything about this situation was shitty. He had never even been to Michael's place, despite how long they had been fucking around. He always made Michael come to him. But he was desperate. And the worst part was that Michael fucking _knew_ he was.  
  
Which was why Michael was taking far too long to answer the door, and why he had tried to play hard to get when he finally picked up the phone. God, Tina was right. He fucking hated the guy.  
  
Michael finally answered the door, shirtless and in the Grey Sweatpants of Death™ with no boxers, dick already half hard. He was grinning at Gavin like he won some game. And maybe he had, because Michael had been right about one thing... no one else was going to put up with Gavin's shit. Michael had put up with it longer than the last, and that was only because while Gavin was fucked up, so was he, in his own way. The only difference was that Michael didn't know his worth, while Gavin knew he wasn't worth much. Michael was as good as it was going to get for him.  
  
Gavin pushed his way into Michael's apartment, immediately curling his fingers into Michael's hair and bringing their lips together as he kicked the door closed behind him. He was rough, too rough, but Michael always ate that shit up. He never got off harder than when Gavin used the absolute fuck out of him, regardless of him wanting more. And that worked for Gavin. This was just another distraction, just like the occasional bar fights were, sex was a distraction. He didn't know how to touch things without breaking them, it was the only thing he was good at. But Michael liked to break, so he might as well take what he could get.  
  
He walked Michael backwards towards the couch, only breaking their lips apart long enough to rip his shirt off. Michael was already moaning like a pornstar, and it was yet another thing that Gavin hated about him. He knew that Michael enjoyed sex with him, but he still insisted on putting on a show, as if it would make Gavin enjoy it more. But it was all fake and rehearsed. Gavin pulled away from him, pushing him down on the couch and working on his belt. "You know this is only a hookup, right?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as Michael shimmied out of his sweatpants.  
  
Michael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I figured. Too good to pass up though." He swatted Gavin's hands out of the way to finish unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. He mouthed at Gavin's cock through his boxer briefs, once again just putting on a show and trying to get Gavin harder. Why did he try to make that a thing? Like oh, yippee, now my underwear is wet and sticking to me-  
  
The critiquing stopped there when Michael whipped out his dick and immediately shoved in in his mouth. Gavin bit his lip, his eyes flickering shut. _This_ was why he had caved and called Michael again. No thinking. No worrying about the case, no lusting over Connor, just Michael choking on his cock like he was made for it. It was all just a little bit of foreplay, he hadn't swallowed his pride just for a blowjob, but he was hard as a rock, and for once it had nothing to do with Connor, and that made it 100% worth it. Gavin sunk his fingers into Michael's curly blond hair, taking control of the pace and pulling him off only to shove him back down harder. Michael's hands were splayed on his thighs, he knew the drill and would tap Gavin if it was too much.  
  
After a few minutes of roughly thrusting into the warm, wet heat of Michael's mouth, Michael taped him and Gavin immediately let go. Michael pulled back, not even bothering to wipe the drool of his chin. "Let me ride you." He mumbled, his voice hoarse. Gavin didn't need to be told twice, and kicked off his pants, underwear and bedroom slippers (he had been in a rush, okay?) and flopped down on the couch. Michael produced a bottle of lube and a condom from god only knew where, and crawled into Gavin's lap to bring their lips together again after tossing them on the couch.  
  
Call him a sap, but Gavin really, really liked kissing. If the other person was a good kisser, at least. He had been with guys before that were messier than when Remy drank from her bowl after a run, and he _hated_ that shit, but Michael was a pretty good kisser. He always let Gavin take the lead, always let Gavin explore his mouth and kiss down his jawline with the occasionally nip. Gavin loved finding that one little sweet spot on his partner's body that made them melt. He had learned quickly that with Michael it was pretty much anywhere on his neck because he was a slut for Gavin's stubble. That part wasn't faked or rehearsed, it was all in the way that Michael would shudder and arch against him. Gavin fucking loved it. Even if Michael was a bit of a pillow princess and never really returned the favor in that aspect of foreplay. But to his surprise, this time Michael did. When Gavin pulled back to work his way back to Michael's lips from his neck, Michael tangled his fingers in Gavin's hair and pulled back, exposing Gavin's neck to him and diving in.  
  
Gavin absolutely did not _whine_ , and immediately start rutting against Michael as he kissed and licked and sucked his neck and throat-  
  
"Jesus fucking Chirst, Micheal." Gavin snapped, grabbing Michael by the shoulders and pushing him back a little. "You _know_ the fucking rule I have about hickies."  
  
"Oh c'mon." Michael said playfully. "You can't just come here looking like _that_ and expect-"  
  
"No. Hickies." Gavin growled. "I don't work from home. I have a job I actually go to where people can see that shit."  
  
Michael pouted. "So when you get into bar fights, the black eyes and busted lips are fine but a hickey isn't?"  
  
"I can leave."  
  
"No! I'm sorry, okay?" Michael whined. He reached between them, grabbing Gavin's cock and giving a good few pumps. "Just let me grab the lube."  
  
"And condom." Gavin reminded him.  
  
"We could just go without-"  
  
"And condom!" Gavin said louder. He knew that both he and Michael were clean. When things had transitioned from one night stand to regular booty call, he made sure they were both tested, just in case. But not using a condom... that was a line of intimacy that Gavin didn't even want to touch, especially with a guy that he was pretty sure was bordering on head over heels for him.  
  
Micheal rolled his eyes and grabbed the condom, ripping the wrapper open and hurriedly unrolling it onto Gavin's dick before quickly lubing him up and prepping himself even faster. He positioned himself and slowly sank down on Gavin's cock, and Gavin let his head fall back on the the back of the couch, his eyes closed.  
  
And that was supposed to be the part that Gavin officially stopped thinking. It was supposed to be the part where his brain went offline other than being enveloped in the pure bliss of having sex.  
  
But it wasn't.  
  
Instead, that was the part where Gavin realized just how much he _didn't_ want any of it, how much he _didn't_ want Michael. All he could focus on was how disgusted with himself that he was at Michael's house, just trying to lose himself in the one warm body that would give him the time of day. And maybe, just maybe, he could have handled that. Maybe he could have ignored that long enough to get off, or at least to get Michael off, and he tried, he really did.... but with his eyes closed, it wasn't Michael he was thinking about. It was Connor. It was imagining Connor riding him, his pale skin flushed a delicate shade of blue, that always perfect hair in an absolute disarray while he moaned in Gavin's ear. And that was the part Gavin couldn't handle.  
  
By some grace of god, Gavin's phone rang.  
  
He shoved Michael off and mumbled a quick apology, digging through his jeans to find his cell phone. The number, which had never even been in his phone a couple of days ago, was now a contact saved under 'Tin Can' and he immediately picked up, pointing a finger at Michael warning him not to say anything. "Hello?"  
  
"I hate that I'm having to call you this late." Connor's voice said, and god, it was like music to Gavin's fucking ears. "But I was just informed by the Detroit Police Department's database that another body has been found. It... it's one of ours."  
  
Gavin knew he was beyond fucked up for thinking it, but he had never been so relieved to get a call about a body in his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of people aren't fond of sex scenes outside of their ship, but I honestly didn't feel like it was big enough to tag Gavin/Other because the whole purpose of it was for Gavin to realize that it's absolutely not what he wants. So, my sincerest apologies to anyone that was made squeamish by that scene, but like I said in the beginning chapter notes, that will be the last of that. It also affects something in the next chapter since the chapter if from Connor's pov. Sorry!
> 
> I promise to reply to comments!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I _know_ I haven't gotten to reply to comments yet and I know I suck, but I'm going to be really busy for the next few weeks so I'm trying to write as much as possible. But I promise I'm going to get to everyone and reply!

Connor arrived to the scene before Gavin. The digital projection police tape was already marking off the alleyway, and Chris, the one who made the call in, was already there waiting on him. They alley was only lit by the flashing lights of the cop cars and a few stray beams of flashlights. The closest lamppost was burned out and the two buildings framing the alley were abandoned. The perfect place to be shrouded in darkness to commit a crime.  
  
Connor felt guilty for thinking it, but an addition to the case was a much needed and welcome distraction. Now that he had realized he had feelings for Gavin, and openly admitted them, it was all he could think about during any of his waking life. Sometimes it was thinking about how guilty he felt for developing feelings for his partner. Sometimes it was the question of whether or not something was wrong with him because Gavin should be the last person he would develop romantic feelings for. Sometimes it was the fantasy of what it would be like to kiss Gavin, to touch him as much as he wanted, explaining why he had no interest in the random hookups Gavin encouraged. Sometimes it was just about Gavin in general. His eyes, his smile, his teasing, his under-the-surface kindness, just _him_. But it had completely infiltrated Connor's free thinking and consumed him  
  
Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done about it. Connor knew enough about human interaction to know that Gavin didn't return those feelings, and that confessing them would most likely have catastrophic negative consequences. He was going to have to pretend the feelings weren't there if he wanted them to remain friends with Gavin. 

"Thank god you're here." Chris greeted Connor, interrupting his thoughts. "Your asshole partner won't pick up his phone."

"I just got off the phone with him not long ago. He's most likely on the way. I've noticed he doesn't use his phone a lot when he's driving." Connor replied. He would wait until Gavin arrived to really analyze the crime scene fully, but he couldn't stop himself from zeroing in his vision, the world around him going grey all except for things that would stick out as clues. The first thing he noticed were traces of blue blood. "Do you have any details on what happened?"

"Nope." Chris sighed. "I was just out doing my rounds and a couple of streets over saw what I thought was a drug deal. The moment they saw the car, the two guys took off running. I lost track of them and parked my car to start searching on foot..." He noticed Connor's raised eyebrow. "I know, it was reckless. But it's been a slow night and the two suspects looked like they couldn't have been more than sixteen. Can you believe that shit? Kids, man. Kids getting hooked on this shit." He shook his head sadly. "Anyway, I ended up going down this alley... and, well, I found the body. Blue blood disappears when it dries, right? So, the murder couldn't have happened too long ago. I can still see the blood. But there's not enough for the two junkies to have been involved, I don't think. I was watching them, they came from the opposite direction."

Connor was impressed. "Nice detective skills, Chris. Very observant of you."

Chris laughed awkwardly. "Well, I'm no Gavin, and I'm definitely no _you_ , but I try." Anything else he had to say was interrupted by the screeching of tires as Gavin's car pulled up, narrowly avoiding hitting a dumpster. Chris sighed. "He's so damn dramatic..." Connor just smiled. Chris wasn't exactly incorrect in his observation about Gavin.  
  
Gavin turned his car off and stumbled out of his car. He had clearly not expected to be called in because he was in sweats and a loose, old long sleeved shirt paired with bedroom slippers. His hair was also wet, a few drops of water still dropping from the strands. He was apparently freshly showered. "What'd a miss?" He mumbled distractedly, grabbing his badge and cellphone from the cup holders in his car.  
  
"Nothing, yet." Connor responded. "I was waiting on you to investigate the scene. Chris here was just informing me about how the body was found."  
  
"Aw, you didn't have to wait on me, tin can." Gavin teased, brushing his wet hair back off his forehead. He was grinning cockily, but it didn't quite meet his eyes and Connor frowned. Something seemed... off about him. **[[Analyzing Gavin Reed... nervous. Distracted. Anxious.]]** The analysis was interrupted when Gavin gave him a strange look and turned to Chris.  
  
"Any suspects?" He asked, avoiding Connor's eyes.  
  
"Not as of right now. I was following some kids fucking with Red Ice and they were questioned, but we don't think they were involved."  
  
Gavin sighed. "Alright. Well, show us the body."  
  
Connor and Gavin followed Chris. The three of them stepped through the projected police tape to where Julia was taking pictures of the body, crouched down next to it and peering through her camera lens. Connor noticed that Gavin rolled his eyes the moment he saw her. She glanced up at them, grinning.  
  
"I see I'm not the only one that got called in." She said.  
  
"Yeah, well you're the only blood spatter genius we got." Chris said, obviously also picking up on Gavin's discomfort. "Actually, I gotta a few questions about the difference between human blood and blue blood. Do you think you could come with me while Gavin and Connor check out the body?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. Of course." Julia replied, standing up.  
  
Chris mouthed 'you owe me' at Gavin before leading Julia away. Gavin just rolled his eyes again and approached the body, squinting at the slowly disappearing blue blood. "Whatcha got, robo cop?" He asked, crouching next to the body like Julia had been.  
  
Everything faded to grey as Connor reran the analysis on the victim, "An android victim. Her LED is missing. Her model make was intended to be used as a caregiver for children. Just like all the other victims, she was stabbed repeatedly." He pointed to the stab wounds. "The previous victims were all stabbed in the chest, but she... she was stabbed lower."  
  
Gavin licked his lips and swallowed hard. "Her thirium pump." He said quietly.  
  
Connor nodded and crouched down next to him. "The stab patterns and numbers of aggressive attacks suggest that it's our killer. But it seems this time they found out that android thirium pumps are located lower than the human heart. The victim has been deactivated for too long for me to access her memories with this kind of damage done."  
  
"Fuck." Gavin muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Anything else?"  
  
"The same knife was used." Connor replied. "The attack is once again suggesting that the killer is angry at the individuals that they're attacking."  
  
"The asshole apparently isn't too fond of humans and androids getting it on." Gavin muttered. He stood up and stretched, popping his neck.  
  
Connor immediately stood up, noticing a bruise on Gavin's neck. He reached out without thinking, his fingers ghosting over the bruise softly. "You're injured."  
  
"What?" Gavin asked, tensing up at Connor's touch.  
  
"Your neck. There's a bruise here. Who did this to you?" Connor responded simply, his fingers still tracing the bruise. Goosebumps appeared in the caresses wake, and Gavin jerked away, his hand slapping over the bruise to cover it.  
  
"Oh, that's not a bruise, Con." Chris said, shaking his head as he rounded a cop car, Julia not with him. "That's a hickey." Oh. Someone _had_ given the mark to Gavin, but it was done willingly, and certainly wasn't an injury. Connor wasn't sure why his thirium pump picked up speed, and there was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Jesus, _that's_ why you were late, Gavin? I swear to god if you're fucking around with Michael again-"  
  
"How the fuck do you know about me and Michael?" Gavin snapped, his hand still covering the hickey.  
  
Chris snorted. "You don't think Tina spilled all the tea once you officially came out to me at the bar? She had been _dying_ to gossip over your shit taste in men. Aren't you supposed to be done with him?"  
  
"I am-"  
  
"Yeah, looks like it." Chris interrupted, his voice disappointed. He just shook his head again.  
  
"Stay out of my fucking business." Gavin growled, finally letting his hand drop.  
  
"I would if you would-"  
  
"Can we please focus on the case." Connor intervened dryly. He didn't want to think about someone else's lips on Gavin, and certainly not Michael.  
  
"Uh, yeah." Chris muttered. "I'll leave you two to it." He added awkwardly, giving Gavin one last look before leaving them with the body again.  
  
"I'm going to fucking kill Tina..." Gavin mumbled, turning back to the body. Connor tried to run another analysis on him, but Gavin must have caught on because he narrowed his eyes and shoved Connor. It wasn't like before, it wasn't to intimidate or hurt him, but it wasn't playful either. It caused Connor to stumble back a step. "Stop fucking using your Superman X-ray shit on me." Gavin snapped. "It's not fair that you can get inside someone's head like that without their permission. If I want you to know something, I'll fucking tell you."  
  
"I was just trying to get a gauge on your mood-"  
  
"You want to know my mood, _Connor_? My mood is pretty fucking shitty. I was trying to get laid and you-" He shoved his index finger to Connor's chest. "-interrupted that because of a fucking body belonging to a case that I can't fucking solve." Connor took a step back in an attempt to deescalate the situation because Gavin's stress levels were quickly rising. Gavin just took another step forward. "I would _much_ rather be getting my dick wet than be stuck here with you-" Connor froze. Gavin was lying. He didn't need to run any sort of analysis to know. It was in his eyes. Gavin's words and face were angry, but his eyes looked unsure, looked scared. Connor's LED flashed red, and it interrupted Gavin's train of thought as his eyes flickered to the light. He then looked down and his finger pressed into Connor's chest and sighed, dropping his hand to his side. "It's not... it's not your fault. I just haven't been having a good night."  
  
"I feel like the hickey would suggest otherwise." Connor said lightly, even though the sinking feeling returned at the memory of it.  
  
Gavin barked out a laugh. "Yeah? You would be surprised. I uh, I actually really am done with Michael this time." He scrubbed his hand across the back of his neck self consciously. "I think I needed tonight to really see that. He's... he's not someone I want to be with."  
  
Connor tilted his head. There was something Gavin wasn't saying, something he wasn't telling him. "Is there someone you _do_ want to be with?" Connor knew he was treading in dangerous territory. He also knew he was projecting slightly. He wanted so very badly for Gavin to say that he was also having questionable feelings too. Gavin was standing so close, and Connor's palms itched with the urge to reach out and touch him. It would be so easy just to lean forward and capture Gavin's lips while Gavin confessed that it was _Connor_ he wanted to be with. But that would never happen. That was just a fantasy, and it was torture. Connor had never wanted something so badly in his entire life.  
  
Gavin was watching him carefully, his eyes scanning Connor's face like he was looking for the answers to a question he left unasked. He licked his lips and forced a smile, another one that didn't quite look right on his face. "Well, right now, what I _really_ want is to be back home in my bed." He looked back down at the body. "Got anymore clues, Velma?"  
  
**[[Velma, a Scooby Doo reference]]** Connor stepped away, putting some distance between them and turned to the body. It hurt too much to stand that close to Gavin and not be able to just touch him, to let his fingers and lips roam. He wished Markus would have been able to delete these feelings, because it _hurt_. It hurt to want things from Gavin that he would never have. Connor distracted himself with the case. "The victim was caught off guard. I can see from the spray of blue blood that the victim was stabbed twice before she attempted to defend herself. She stumbled and fell, the attacker most likely falling on her and continuing to stab her until she finally shut down."  
  
"You can tell all that on your own? Fuck, why do we even _need_ Julia with eyes like yours?" Gavin laughed.  
  
"She's also incredibly unprofessional." Connor replied frowning. "She was kneeling too close to the body. Some of the blue blood got on her knee, but she was unable to tell because it was blue blood that had already evaporated to the human eye."  
  
Gavin grinned and playfully bumped his shoulder against Connor's. "You don't like her either, huh? Whatever happened to 'oh she's so smart and had blood shit published' and blah blah blah?"  
  
"That was before I realized how uncomfortable she makes you." Connor shrugged. "I suppose I feel the same way about her not leaving you alone as you did about Michael not leaving me alone."  
  
Biting his lip, Gavin looked away from Connor's eyes. "Probably not the same thing, tin can. But I get you. I can handle her though."  
  
Connor furrowed his brows at Gavin. "And I could have handled Michael."  
  
Gavin snorted. "You can't even handle your liquor. You weren't handling shit.  
  
Chris' voice called out from further down the alley, interrupting their banter. "Can you two dumbasses stop flirting long enough to tell me if this is blue blood or paint?"  
  
  
  
  
They spent the next 45 minutes and 29 seconds investigating the crime scene further. It was irritating. The killer left behind no evidence of their existence other than the body of the victim, and Gavin grew more and more frustrated with every second of lack of evidence. They agreed to immediately start researching the victim and whether or not she had any ties to a human/android relationship first thing in the morning.  
  
Connor had a surprise for Gavin and had planned to give it to him in the morning at work, but Gavin's bad mood with how the investigation was going encouraged him to give Gavin the gift a little early. "I have something for you." He said softly. right as Gavin was reaching for his car door.  
  
Gavin raised a single eyebrow at him. "First the bagel and coffee, now something else. You trying to spoil me?" He took his hand off the car door in favor of taking a step toward Connor, an easy, cocky smirk on his face that made Connor want to kiss him again and again and again. His hair had dried and was wavy without gel, curling slightly at the nape of his neck and Connor's fingers twitched with the urge to card them through the strands.  
  
Connor felt his face heat up before he could cool his systems. "You said you were having a bad night, and I noticed that this case only frustrated you further... maybe this would help you relax." Connor noticed the dilation of Gavin's pupils at his response. Oh. Perhaps the way Connor had said that sounded flirty. This only made Connor's face heat up again, and he understood why humans were so easily frustrated. Flirting with Aine at the android friendly bar had been easy. This was not. Gavin's reactions to his unintentional flirting made Connor flustered and that was _frustrating_. "Do you want the surprise or not?" Connor demanded when he realized they were just staring at each other.  
  
"Uh, sure."  
  
Motioning over his shoulder with his thumb, Connor replied. "It's in Hank's car. Come with me."  
  
Gavin scrunched up his nose at being told what to do, but followed Connor anyway. "Listen, if this is an excuse to get me alone, I should probably tell you I'm not that kind of-"  
  
"Shut up, Gavin." Connor interrupted with and eye roll, making Gavin laugh. Connor opened the passenger side door to Hank's car, reaching in the seat and grabbing Gavin's leather jacket. It had taken quite awhile for the tailor to fix it, having to find the exact shade of brown leather and entirely recreate the sleeve since there was no other way to fix it without a tacky, heavy line of thread pulling together the split fabric from the bullet. It had been worth it though, because it was impossible to tell that any damage had been to the jacket. Connor turned to face Gavin nervously, the jacket hidden behind his back. He was suddenly anxious about having the jacket fixed. Was he gifting Gavin too many things? Since he had realized his feelings for Gavin, a lot of actions suddenly felt a lot more like courting than random acts of kindness to get Gavin to loosen up and make his job easier. Connor took a deep breath, suddenly having the urge to explain himself. "When I first started at the DPD I noticed that you never took your jacket off. I now know that it's because you don't like people asking about your tattoos, but I felt like maybe the jacket had sentimental value. It was damaged when you got shot but..." He pulled the jacket out from his behind his back, showing the sleeve to Gavin. "I was able to find a leather repair shop that was able to fix it." He held the jacket out to Gavin. Gavin reached out with a shaky hand, his eyes wide and his mouth open with unspoken words. He turned the sleeve over in his hand, running his fingers over where the tear should have been. "I now realize that going through your trash probably comes off as a bit strange and an invasion of your privacy-"  
  
Connor was cut short when Gavin dropped the jacket and wrapped his arms around Connor. He must have done it without thinking, because he froze the moment his arms pulled Connor in to the hug, and he went to pull away, but this was the first time Gavin had ever hugged him and Connor was _not_ about to let the moment pass. He wrapped his own arms around Gavin waist tightly, sinking into the touch and reveling at the feeling of Gavin pressed against him. Connor knew that it was a hug a little too intimate to be shared among friends, but he didn't let go until Gavin cleared his throat nervously.  
  
When Gavin pulled back, his face was bright red, and the color was quickly spreading down his neck and to the tips of his ears. He coughed awkwardly and reached down to pick up his jacket, brushing dirt off of it. "Uh..." He started quietly. "It does. I mean, the jacket does have sentimental value. I've had it since a little bit before I joined the DPD. It was... it was the last thing my mom got me before she died. She got it..." He swallowed hard. His eyes were shining and he blinked a few times. "She got it for me just a few weeks before she died." He looked down at the jacket, a soft, sad smile on his face. When he looked back up at Connor, he was looking at Connor like it was the first time he ever actually saw him, and Connor had the urge to kiss him again. He probably would have if it wouldn't make Gavin hate him. "Thank you." Gavin whispered. "I'm a fucking idiot, I should have thought to just get it fixed but I was just so frustrated that it was messed up-" He bit his quivering lip and took a deep breath. "You know, I really like you, you asshole. I can't believe I used to hate you just because you were an android."  
  
Connor smiled, the sinking feeling from earlier replaced by only warmth and fluttering. "That's okay. I really like you too. Even if you tried to kill me, thought my whole species should be eliminated, and tried to intervene with my investigation." Gavin didn't mean what Connor wanted him to, but it was enough.  
  
Gavin just laughed, his smile bright and happy. It was the most beautiful thing Connor had ever seen, and he knew that he would do almost anything to keep that look on Gavin's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's "great" about hyper fixation? The fact that I'm not even halfway done with this fic (probably) and somehow ended up writing the first chapter for a sequel. My brain absolutely will not let things go once it zeroes in on it, and it decided that a sequel was a good idea. Whoops.The dumpster Gavin narrowing avoided hitting with his car was actually me.
> 
> I'm also loving how half he responses were along the lines of "I feel bad for Michael because Gavin was using him" and the other half were like "yeah! fuck that Michael guy!" lmao. Amazing. You're all amazing.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two. God, these two. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, so it's a bit long. SO I'M DEFINITELY REPLYING TO COMMENTS BEFORE THE NEXT CHAPTER. I swear. I was just too impatient to wait to post this one because I had so much fun with it. 
> 
> Also, you should DEFINITELY read the end notes, because that amazing artwork I had commissioned will be there and it's PERFECT. <3

Gavin hated Connor. God, he fucking _hated_ him.

Gavin hated how thorough he was at his job. How he analyzed a crime scene completely and went through his notes, clues and files a million times even though he probably knew them by heart, line by line, clue by clue. He hated how Connor was a fresh perspective, a new set of eyes on every little thing, and how it was usually the opposite of his own, and how well that _worked_. He hated how Connor's genius fucking brain could analyze things like a computer. He hated how cool, calm, and collected Connor always was about the case, despite how he was clearly just as frustrated as Gavin was about it. He hated how he could literally take evidence and put in his fucking _mouth_ to figure out chemical compounds and DNA and shit. And words couldn't describe how much he hated how Connor was suck that evidence from his fingers, how absolutely _sinful_ it looked, and how even though it was filthy in a disgusting way, he found it filthy in a completely different way.

Gavin hated Connor's stupid, perfect face. He hated how he had somehow memorized every mole, how he could draw the fucker's face from memory at the point. He hated the dark curtain of delicate eyelashes that framed warm, whiskey colored eyes that always saw right through him. He hated how expressive and soft looking Connor's lips were, and how more times than not, they were curved into a smirk or smile that was geared towards him. He hated how Connor's hair was always perfectly styled, and how desperately his fingers itched to card through the strands. He hated how long and confident Connor's fingers were, and how he couldn't stop thinking about how gentle they were when they tended to his wounds. He hated how powerful Connor was, and how he knew that from both getting his ass kicked by him, _and_ from how Connor pulled him into a hug that had nearly shattered his world because he couldn't remember the last time he had been hugged like that and how safe her felt in his stupid, strong arms.

Gavin hated how much Connor loved dogs. He hated how it was for the most pure fucking reason, how it was because dogs judged you based on your _character_. He hated how much Connor loved Remy and how he looked at her exactly how Gavin did, like she was the best thing since sliced bread or some shit. He hated how not once had Connor asked him if he had been afraid to adopt a rescue pitbull, if he ever felt like his angel of a dog would turn on him. He hated how Connor had never had that fear himself, and only saw Remy as this sweet, loving dog with a tragic past that was finally getting the love that she deserved. He hated how quickly Connor won over Remy, how her face lit up and her tail wagged so hard that he was shocked she didn't just fly away whenever she saw him.

Gavin hated how thoughtful Connor was. He hated how the asshole could just _remember_ how he took his coffee, and how even though Connor hated how much sugar he put in it, he still made the coffee for Gavin _perfectly_. He hated that stupid fucking dog mug, how it a put a smile on his face every time he saw it when he literally had to stare at it at work all day. He hated how Connor sincerely _cared_ about him, how he would still periodically ask about Gavin's arm even though it was just a surface wound that was almost completely healed. He hated Connor just _knew_ he didn't properly take care of himself, and how he had stopped to get him breakfast because he had been _thinking_ about him. He hated how Connor getting his jacket fixed had _almost_ brought him to tears, even if digging through his trash to get it had been weird as fuck. He hated how he couldn't stop staring at the jacket affectionately as he was getting ready for work the next day, and how somehow the fucking old chunk of leather meant even _more_ to him now. He hated how the jacket now somehow _smelled_ like Connor, and how he couldn't stop thinking about how _good_ he smelled, how he couldn't help but wonder if that was another thing CyberLife had added in, or if Connor had some really great taste in cologne.

And what Gavin hated the absolute _most_ , was that he didn't hate Connor at all anymore.  
  
In fact, he really liked Connor, a whole hell of a lot.  
  
  
  
Gavin tried to force himself not to think about it as he got ready to go to work. Remy must have known he was in a mood because she followed him around the house, even peeking her head around the shower curtain while he showered. She was at his heels as he changed, and tried to wipe the smile off his face as he grabbed his jacket and slid it on, overwhelmed with emotion at how perfect the sleeve had been repaired. When he was done getting ready, he grabbed his badge, wallet, gun, cell phone and car keys and kneeled down to pet her. Remy wagged her tail excitedly as he stroked her hair and spoke softly to her. "What the fuck is wrong with me, Rems?" She just wagged her tail harder and licked his hand when the petting stopped. "My dumbass is over here simping over a fucking android. And yeah, it's not like I have a crush on him or anything-" Remy's tail stopped wagging and she tilted her head. Wow, judgmental much? "-but I can't stop thinking about him. He's the nicest person I've ever met when he has every reason not to be." Remy just whined and nudged him. Gavin sighed and stood up, giving her one last pat before heading into work.  
  
When Gavin arrived at work, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket but he ignored it, and made a beeline for the breakroom. Coffee. He needed a lot of fucking coffee right now. He dug through the cabinets looking for his hideous mug and couldn't find it. So he checked again. And then a third time. It wasn't there, and a slight panic started to swell up in his chest when he heard Tina's voice. "Looking for that ugly mug of yours?"  
  
Gavin spun around and glared at her. "What did you do with it?" He snapped.  
  
Tina just laughed. "Oh god, you're so _predictable_! I didn't touch it. I did see Connor with it earlier. No doubt, making you coffee. I think you have that android whipped, Gav."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Connor relaxed. At least the mug wasn't missing in action. Even though it was, you know, ugly and he didn't like the thing. "I don't have him _whipped_ , dumbass. He's just really... sweet."  
  
"Really sweet, huh?" Tina asked smirking and adjusting her jacket nonchalantly.  
  
"Just... shut up." Gavin laughed nervously avoiding Tina's eyes. What the fuck was wrong with him today? "You know what I mean. He just likes doing nice things for people. It's like his entire personality since he became a deviant."  
  
"Ah, well you know him better than I do." Tina sipped her own coffee and Gavin glanced at the cup longingly. "I guess he _is_ more than just a pretty face..."  
  
Gavin furrowed his eyebrows at her like she was crazy. "Uh, yeah, he is. Anyone who has talked to him for more than five minutes could tell you that. _You_ know that."  
  
She just grinned widely. "So, you agree? You think he's pretty?"  
  
"Oh, fuck off, Regina George. You set me up for that one." Gavin rolled his eyes. Anyone that talked to Connor for more than five minutes would know he was nice, but anyone who looked at him for more than five _seconds_ would be able to tell he was attractive. Tina was just being petty because she was too smart to have not caught on to the fact that Gavin no longer hated him. "If you don't mind, I have work to do and coffee to drink." He shoved past her, much too gently to be sincerely aggressive.  
  
"Coffee that Connor made for you!" She called after him.  
  
Gavin ignored her and made his way over to his desk. Connor was sitting at his own, his white palm touching the computer screen, most likely reading through any reports from last night that had just been turned in. Lo and behold, there was steam coming from the coffee mug on his own desk. Connor glanced up when he noticed Gavin, his lips spreading into a smile. "Good morning, Gavin."  
  
Gavin smiled back at him, trying to stamp down the weird, nervous fluttering in his stomach. "Mornin', tin can."  
  
Connor's LED flashed and removed his hand from the screen, skin covering it once again. "The jacket looks good on you." He said, his warm eyes sincere.  
  
Taking his seat, Gavin rolled his eyes. "It looks the same as it always has, moron. Thanks to you." He avoided Connor's eyes to stare at his screen and log into his computer. He could see Connor's eyebrows tent and his held tilt in his peripheral.  
  
"It's always looked good on you."  
  
Swallowing hard, Gavin felt himself blush. Jesus Christ, how had this guy not been laid yet? He was smooth as fuck. Actually, that was more cheesy than smooth, but it seemed smooth coming from the friendly neighborhood android. Gavin just grabbed his pad of sticky notes, balled one up and threw it at him, because he had no idea what to say.  
  
"It's great to see my detectives are working their asses off on their case and not playing ball with sticky notes." Captain Fowler's sarcastic voice made Gavin jump, and he spun around in his chair.  
  
"I _just_ clocked in." Fowler glanced down at his watch. "On time." Gavin added pointedly.  
  
"Good. Because you and Connor have a meeting today."  
  
"We do?" Connor asked, puzzled.  
  
Fowler sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "In case you two have miraculously forgotten, another body showed up last night. The only thing keeping the FBI off our asses is that it was an android, and there are still people that don't consider them human enough to consider this son of a bitch a serial killer. One hour. You have one hour to present a presentation to anyone and everyone working on this case with any leads, evidence, or ideas you might have. We're running out of time and I want fresh pairs of eyes and minds on this."  
  
"You're giving our fucking case to someone else?!" Gavin snapped.  
  
Fowler put both his hands on Gavin's desk and leaned forward so that he was in his face. "Watch the attitude, Reed. I'm not giving the case away. I want ideas tossed around, and I want progress. I'm hoping this presentation will help before I have to give your case to the fucking FBI. So lose the attitude and work on the presentation."  
  
" _You_ want _me_ to be in charge of a presentation? When you take every opportunity to comment on how unprofessional I supposedly am?" Gavin asked, not standing down.  
  
"I don't care _who_ presents it, as long as you're both working on it." Fowler snapped.  
  
"I'll present." Connor immediately stepped in, his eyes darting back and forth between Fowler and Gavin, his LED swirling yellow. "Gavin and I will work on the presentation together, but I'm most likely better at public speaking because of my programming. So, I'll be the one to present."  
  
Fowler just threw up his hands. "I don't care. Just get it done. One hour." He walked away without another word.  
  
Gavin exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding and swiveled his chair to face Connor. "You didn't have to do that."  
  
Connor leaned back in his chair and smiled easily. "I _am_ better at public speaking than you." His smile dropped a little to something more sincere. "Which is something you should probably work on if you want to get promoted again."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Gavin threw a pen at him this time, but Connor caught it. "I'm a long way away from a promotion, asshole. And I can't even entertain the idea of one if we don't solve this case." He cracked his knuckles. "So, let's get started on this fucking PowerPoint."  
  
  
  


Thank god Gavin and Connor worked well together when they weren't arguing, because they barely finished the PowerPoint when Fowler came by and demanded their presence in the conference room. Gavin was suddenly nervous, and immensely glad that Connor had offered to actually present their presentation even though the asshole was right. If he ever wanted to be a lieutenant, he was going to have to work on the areas that he fell short in, and getting up in front of people and speaking was one of those areas. He had tried before, and most of the force just rolled their eyes or played on their phones, and he knew it was because they didn't take him seriously because of his reputation at the department... and that may be entirely his fault. His phone buzzed in his pocket again, but he ignored it in favor of paranoidly saving the PowerPoint one last time just in case it hadn't saved the other three times he clicked save.

Gavin immediately made a beeline for the table in the back of the room, knowing that Tina would nab the chair on his right, and Chris would take the left if he wasn't already on a call. Connor followed in behind him, but Gavin stopped when he noticed Connor taking of his jacket, removing his tie, and rolling up his sleeves. "The fuck are you doing?" He asked, trying to stop his eyes from wandering to the newly exposed skin.

"I've been told I appear more approachable like this." Connor said, his eyes trained to the sleeve he was working on. Gavin scoffed. He had been the one to tell him that, just in less nice words.

Gavin took his seat and pulled out his phone to check the texts from earlier. He wasn't shocked to find they were texts from Michael. ** > I hate to be that guy... but I WILL need those sweatpants back. They were my favorite. < ** It had a timestamp from earlier in the day, when Gavin had first arrived at work. The next text was from just a few minutes before he entered the conference room. ** > So you come over to get laid, use my shower, steal my sweatpants and leave when your partner calls? Why am I not surprised? < ** Gavin grinded his teeth. Did Michael _really_ have to make this shit about Connor when he had explained that he had to leave abruptly for _work_? Jesus Christ, he was going to make this way too easy to end things permanently.

Tina took her seat next to him, distracting him enough to pocket his phone. Michael could wait. "Don't look so nervous." Tina commented, looking over Gavin's face. "I know Fowler _loves_ to threaten you with giving away your cases, but I read over the email he sent out. He really is just trying to get people's brains working on the case. He loves to talk shit, but he still knows that you and Connor are the best two to have on the case, and the FBI would have to pry it out of his hands for anyone else to work on it."

Sighing, Gavin replied. "What if we really can't catch this guy? Finding new clues and evidence is coming slower than the second coming of Christ, and I'm tired of getting calls about bodies."

"Even if those calls are saving you from Michael?" Tina quirked and eyebrow and Gavin glared at her, opening his mouth to respond, but Tina interrupted him. "Chris didn't have to tell me. I mean, he _did_ , but that giant hickey is still on your neck dumbass. I haven't made detective yet, but it doesn't mean I'm not observant. I see you got your jacket fixed too."

Gavin swallowed, and was thankful that for once he didn't blush. "Uh, actually... Connor got it fixed."

Tina smiled. It wasn't teasing or mocking, she just looked genuinely pleased. Other than Chris, and now Connor, she was the only one that knew the history with the jacket and his mom. She and Chris may not have known all the details, shockingly Connor knew the most, but she still knew the jacket meant more to him than just covering his tattoo sleeve. "No wonder you think he's so sweet." She said. "I'm glad you got it back. Seeing you walk around here without it has been weird. It's basically like seeing you in the nude. Which..." she shuddered dramatically. "No thanks."

Gavin smirked. "Oh, c'mon Tina. You know you want a hot piece of this fine ass." He said with a wink.

"I would give up dating men entirely before I ever went for you, Reed. Keep dreaming. My very gay, very unavailable best friend is the last thing on my to do list." She glanced over at Connor who was in the front of the room setting up the PowerPoint. "Speaking of people walking around in the nude, the men here at the DPD really need to work on their attire because I feel like I shouldn't even be _looking_ at Connor when he has that much skin showing. I feel like a perv."

"Yeah, I know what you mean..." Gavin muttered, his eyes raking over Connor's strong forearms and exposed neck and throat. He wondered how Connor would react to his neck and throat being kissed, if he would love it as much as Michael did. Tina was watching him, but he ignored her. It wasn't everyday that he got to see Connor like this, and he suddenly understood why Victorian men lost their minds over a simple exposed ankle. He really should text Michael back and give him the rundown of 'hey, I messed up and I really meant it when I said things were over', but he couldn't take his eyes off the confident, practiced movements of Connor's hands as his did something as meaningless as plug in a flashdrive. He cut the ogling short when he realized his jeans felt tighter and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he realized more of his coworkers had filled the room. When everyone took their seats, Fowler dead center in the front, Connor cleared his throat and began his presentation.

Gavin should have paid attention. He really should have. But it was hard to focus on what Connor was saying, when it was _how_ he was saying it that was really getting to Gavin. Everything from his posture, to his knowledge on the case was just oozing with confidence that was honestly _way_ too sexy. Connor was also talking with his hands a lot, whether to enunciate his point or to point at the large drop down screen their PowerPoint was on, and Gavin couldn't stop staring. Especially when Connor would periodically take one of those hands and run the fingers through his hair, that one unruly curl temporarily tamed for a few moments before it lost it's place again. Gavin's phone buzzed again and he let out a frustrated sigh, pulling it out to find another text from Michael. ** > Greeeat. Now you're ignoring me. < **

Gavin took the time to text him back, deciding it was best just to cut things off sooner rather than later. ** < I had to leave last night because of the case I'm working on, which is what I've been working on all day and haven't been able to text you back. But it's honestly a good thing we were interrupted. We're not good for each other Michael. I should have never called. I meant it when I said we needed to end things. Let's be adults about this thing and just stop while we still can. < ** After he sent the text, his eyes were immediately trained to Connor again, smiling at some dumb joke the android made that caused a few scattered laughs.

Tina leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. "Maybe the reason you can't let it go is because you actually like him."

"What?!" Gavin whispered back urgently, a little too loudly when a few people turned around. He lowered his voice more. "I don't _like_ Connor, Tina. Jesus Christ, will you lay off with that shit?"

Tina stared at him for a moment before her mouth broke into a wide, devilish grin. "I wasn't talking about Connor." She replied in a hush. "I saw that you were texting Michael and I was just teasing you about _him_. _Do_ you like Connor?"

Gavin swallowed hard and hide his face beyond his dumb pitbull mug to take a hearty gulp and compose himself. Fuck, he walked right into that. "No, I don't like him. Are we in the third grade? Are you going to ask me if I _like_ like him next?"

"Stop getting defensive!" Tina swatted at his arm. "You're the one that brought it up!"

Gavin opened his mouth to reply, but Connor's voice interrupted him. "And that concludes the presentation that Detective Reed and I have put together. Feel free to give yourselves some time to think over the information we've provided, but any questions or input can be directed at either of us at any time. Thank you." He closed the PowerPoint and people immediately began filing out of the room, some discussing some points on the case together. Julia was waiting to tell Fowler something, and immediately whisked him away once he praised Connor for the presentation. Gavin rolled his eyes at how he wasn't even acknowledged. Fucking androids.

Tina waited until the room was completely cleared out of everyone except for Gavin and Connor before bounding up to Connor and saying "You should dress like this more often, Con." She pointedly glanced back at Gavin and he glared daggers through her. "It's a good look on you!"

Connor glanced down at his clothing, as if he had forgotten he was partially undressed. "Oh, thank you Tina."

"Gavin likes it too! Don't you, Gavin?" She added, looking back over to him with a shit eating grin on her face.

Gavin felt his cheeks heat up and had no idea what to say. "It...uh...it looks... good." He mumbled dumbly, feeling like one of his typical insults would be too obvious.

Connor smiled brightly at the two of them and muttered a polite 'thanks' before grabbing his jacket and tie from a chair he had hung them on. Tina just shot Gavin a wink and damn near skipped out of the room. Gavin hated her a little. Gavin picked up his coffee mug and worked his way towards Connor awkwardly, but luckily he didn't have to think of something to say because Connor spoke first. "I've noticed that Sumo has put on quite a bit of weight since Hank got injured, no doubt stealing food off of Hank's plate when he falls asleep with it on the couch." He rolled his eyes fondly. "I was thinking that I would take him to the dog park today after work to give him some extra exercise. Would you and Remy like to join? I thought it would be interesting to introduce the two of them."  
  
He wasn't sure why, but Gavin found himself laughing. He had never met Hank's dog, and he wondered if he took after his owner. "Uh, sure. Is he friendly with other dogs? Remy is really nervous meeting other dogs."  
  
A smile lit up Connor's face. Damn, the guy really loved dogs. "Sumo is the definition of a gentle giant. Hank got him as a guard dog. He licked me when I broke into his house, despite Hank trying to get him to attack me."  
  
Gavin snorted. "Sounds like he and Remy have that in common. Uh, sure, sounds great. We could meet at the park at like 6:45? That would give me enough time to grab a bite to eat, feed her, and then get to the park. Does that work for you?"  
  
"Sounds good. It's a date. We just have to get through the rest of this shift first."  
  
Gavin's stomach did _not_ flutter at the word 'date'. It _didn't_.  
  
  
  
Gavin was coaxing Remy to eat faster and shoveling cold Spaghetti-Os into his mouth from straight out of the can (while watching the time slip by on the stove) when he realized he probably should have told Connor a later time for the dog park. Oh well, he had already committed to it now, and he wasn't about to text his tin can partner and reschedule. Besides, he almost never took Remy to the dog park because of her fear of other dogs. Maybe having Connor there would help her be more trusting of the situation. He just hoped that Sumo's massive ass didn't scare the fuck out of her. He started looking for her leash while still cramming in his shitty dinner, and couldn't find it because he was a dumbass that never put anything back in the same spot. He had to settle for her old leash. The latch on it was iffy, but he couldn't imagine her trying to run off in an unfamiliar area that had other people and other dogs. He tossed the half eaten can of food in the sink and called her to the door. She was already doing her little jig of bouncing back and forth between her two front paws at the sight of a leash.  
  
"I need you to be on your best behavior, okay sweetheart? I'm introducing you to another dog today." He said to her softly, crouching down to latch the leash to her collar. She barked and he grinned at her. "That's my baby girl. Connor will be there too, so you can kiss up to him some more." Remy's tail started wagging at the sound of Connor's name. "Oh, so now you know him by _name_ , huh? You filthy little traitor. I have a regular Judus on my hands, don't I?" She jumped up and licked him on the cheek, causing him to laugh as he stood up. "I just hope you stay this happy once we get there and you meet Sumo. It would be an awkward date if you hate him. Wait- it's not... it's not actually a date! I'm joking!" Remy just titled her head at him. "I don't like Connor, okay? I mean I do, and he's hot, but not like _that_ , you know?" Why was he explaining this to his fucking dog? "Just- fuck- I mean- Car. Now, Remy." He said opening the door and pinching the bridge of his nose while she bounded over to the car, her leash trailing on the ground behind her. It was going to be a long night if he didn't get his shit together.  
  
  
Connor was already at the park, sitting on a bench when Gavin pulled up. Sumo was sitting next to Connor, already panting. The St. Bernard was _massive_ , and Gavin reached over to stroke Remy's head instinctually to soothe her. She was too busy sticking her head out the window and sniffing the air to care what he was doing. He grabbed her leash, making sure he had a firm grip on it before opening the car door. The moment he started pulling himself out of the car, she crawled into his seat, impatiently waiting for him to move so she could exit the car too. Her tail was already wagging a million miles per minute, and when she noticed Connor, she immediately barked and took off running towards him, pulling on her leash... until she noticed Sumo and froze. Her disposition immediately changed as her tail curled between her legs and she crouched closer to the ground, her ears back as she whined.. "Fuck." Gavin muttered, coming up to her and petting her head gently. "It's okay, Rems. It's okay. He's a good boy. You're okay." Gavin looked up at Connor, who was making his way over to them with Sumo on a very tight leash. It was one of the extendable ones, and as they got closer, Remy started shaking and practically crawled in Gavin's lap. He looked up at Connor helplessly.  
  
"Stay." Connor ordered. Sumo immediately plopped down a few feet away, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth after he responded with a gentle 'boof!'. Connor hit the latch on the leash, causing it the extend with him as he came over to Gavin and Remy. He crouched down, his eyes soft and sad as he reached out to pet her. She timidly licked his hand but continued to cower in Gavin's lap. "Hello, Remy." Connor spoke sweetly, trailing a soothing hand down her back. He had never put the jacket and tie back on after Tina's little compliment, and Gavin's stomach was doing summersaults at the sight of him like this, being so gentle with his beloved dog. "There's someone I would like to introduce you to." He was speaking to Remy like she was a human, like he was talking to frightened person that just needed the right encouragement, and fuck, Gavin could kiss him. Seeing Connor be so patient and loving and kind to Remy instead of immediately throwing in the towel was making a warm, affectionate feeling spread through Gavin's chest. Connor was just so _good_. "His name is Sumo. And I know he's rather large and that's probably pretty scary, but Sumo is a very good boy. I think you'll like him." Connor's hand continued to stroke her back while Gavin petted her head, and she had finally stopped shaking but was still peering around Connor at Sumo suspiciously.  
  
"You got this, pretty girl." Gavin said to her, kissing the top of her head. Connor looked up at him and he realized he was using his baby talk voice on her. He blushed but Connor just smiled.  
  
"Come here, Sumo. Slowly." Connor called over his shoulder at the dog. Sumo obeyed, slowly slinking towards them. Remy immediately tensed up and Gavin felt bad, but he had to grab her collar when she tried to dart away. Gavin continued to whisper to her and give her kisses as Sumo slowly approached, Connor tightening the leash gradually as he got closer.  
  
Sumo was finally standing directly in front of them, his head tilted and his nose twitching curiously as Remy stared up at him with wide, terrified eyes. He leaned forward and sniffed her twice before his huge, pink tongue darted out and licked her square on the nose. Remy's ears shot up in confused panic for a split second and Sumo's tail wagged, another small 'boof!' coming from him as he sat down, his tail steadily wagging the entire time. He licked her nose again, and this time she sneezed in his face, which caused him to sneeze, which immediately made Gavin start laughing so hard that he almost toppled over because then both dogs just stared at each other like they were offended. Remy looked up at him, looking twice as offended now that her owner was laughing at her, but then her tail slowly started wagging back and she straightened up, crawling out of his lap as she began sniffing Sumo and he sniffed her right back. Gavin stood up and Connor did the same, smiling at Gavin softly. Gavin relaxed but kept a firm grip on the leash.  
  
"That wasn't so bad." He said, smiling down at his dog who was now getting a little playful and yipping at Sumo as she crouched down, her butt in the air and tail wagging wildly.  
  
"You're good with her." Connor observed. "As a rescue, you have to be extra careful and extra patient with her. But you're good at it."  
  
Gavin ran his free hand through his hair self consciously. "Yeah, well, she never signed up for the shitty hand life dealt her. I'm trying to make up for that." Connor was looking at him like he had just said the most profound thing, his warm, brown eyes searching Gavin's face as his eyebrows tented affectionately. It made Gavin feel incredibly hot, and he looked away, motioning towards the rest of the park. "Shall we?" He said dramatically, making the gesture grand. Connor gave him one of his patented bitch faces, but gently tugged at Sumo's leash, leading the way. Gavin couldn't wipe the grin off his face.  
  
  
  
They walked around the park for the better part of an hour, their shoulders occasionally bumping as they chatted about their case and kept a watchful eye on the dogs. Remy was a completely different dog now, bounding around so much that their leashes kept getting tangled and absolutely loving the attention from Sumo, who seemed utterly perplexed by her endless energy. Gavin was too. She was lazy as hell more often than not. She saw a squirrel and immediately took off to the right after it, jerking both her leash and Gavin to the right and into Connor. Then the asshole squirrel decided that wasn't bad enough, and an _around_ Connor, causing Remy to follow and her leash to wrap around him, pulling him right up against Gavin's chest tightly. What in the romcom _fuck_. Gavin looked up at Connor, their faces, their _mouths_ much too close for comfort, and he put a hand on Connor's shoulder to instinctually shove him away, which only caused them both to topple over, Gavin directly on top of Connor. And the dumb fucker was looking right at Gavin's lips as he stared up at him. Gavin immediately panicked and flailed, trying to untangle himself from the leashes while Sumo just watched him and Remy continued to pull at her own leash, wrapping them up even tighter which only caused Gavin to panic _more_ because now he was pressed directly between Connor's legs which was _not_ helping with the millions of dirty thoughts Gavin had had about Connor, and-  
  
"Gavin, calm down." Connor said, reaching for Remy's leash. "Sumo, stay." He dropped the handle to Sumo's leash to help untangle them, and then worked Remy's leash from around them as she continued to tug at it, completely fixated on the squirrel that had climbed up a tree. He finally got them unwrapped, but Gavin was frozen in place. He couldn't ever recall being _this_ close to Connor, breathing the same air, so close that even the faintest movement would cause their lips to touch...  
  
_Clink!_ Remy's leash suddenly went limp in Connor's hand as the old latch finally snapped. Remy immediately took off running towards the tree that the squirrel had ran up, and Gavin looked on in horror as he noticed that was a large, filthy, muddy puddle right at the base of the tree. Gavin shot up so fast he felt light headed, immediately chasing after his dog, calling after her with a pleading tone. He had _just_ cleaned the inside of his car. He stopped just a few feet from the mud puddle, holding up nervous, placating hands while Remy ignored him in favor of smelling the puddle. "Remy... come here... don't you dare go in that fucking mud." Connor and Sumo appeared at Gavin's side, Sumo have no interest in the mud after his short run over. Remy wagged her tail in acknowledgement at Gavin's voice, but stuck a single paw in the mud. "Remington fucking Reed. I swear to _god_ I will put you up for adoption."  
  
"...You gave your dog your last name?" Connor snickered.  
  
"Shut the fuck up, dipshit." Gavin growled, not taking his eyes off of Remy. Time to plead. "Please, Remy. I _just_ cleaned my car. If you just come here I'll give you a whole box of treats when we-"  
  
Remy jumped in the mud puddle and immediately flopped over on her back, wallowing in the mud until her upper half was completely filthy.  
  
"God. Fucking. Dammit." Gavin snapped, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn't yell at her. He couldn't do it. It would scare her. But he was _pissed_ -  
  
He suddenly felt Connor touch his arm. He opened his eyes and saw that Connor was looking at Remy, a smile on his face. "I know you're angry. But look at how happy she is. She never got the chance to do things like this before you adopted her."  
  
Gavin glared at Connor but followed his line of vision... and he wasn't wrong. Remy was still on her back rolling in the mud, but her tail was wagging wildly and her lips were pulled back in an unmistakable grin. It was the happiest he had ever seen her. His hands curled into fists and he took a few deep breaths, calming himself. "Remy!" He called, not yelling at her, but raising his voice just enough so she knew she was being called. She stood up, an undeniable 'oh shit, I'm in trouble now' look on her face as she slowly started slinking out of the mud, coming to Gavin's side.  
  
"I would suggest you leash her again, but..." Connor held up the useless, broken leash. Jesus fucking Christ. Gavin was going to have to _carry_ her like this. He reached down to pick her up, his blood boiling only to immediately relax when he lifted her up and she licked him, the grin returning to her chunky face.  
  
"What am I going to do with you..." he muttered, unable to stop a smile from spreading across his lips. How could he stay mad? Connor was right. Her life was shit before he adopted her. A fucking puddle had absolutely made her day.  
  
Connor was looking at Gavin adoringly but then looked down at Sumo. "Don't expect me to pick _you_ up like that." He said to the dog, a smile on his face. Sumo's tailed thumped against the ground.  
  
Gavin scoffed. "Like you couldn't pick him up, robocop. How much can you bench? Two hundred? Two fifty?"  
  
"Approximately six hundred pounds, depending on the situation."  
  
Gavin choked and nearly dropped Remy. "Six... six hundred pounds?" He wheezed. Connor just grinned and winked and Gavin went to reply with something insulting, but was interrupted by his stomach growling loudly. Apparently half a can of cold Spaghetti-Os was not enough food for a grown ass man.  
  
Connor narrowed his eyes disapprovingly. "I thought you said you were going to eat before meeting me?"  
  
"I did." Gavin argued petulantly, suddenly realizing how overweight his dog was and how impressed he was by Connor because his arms were starting to get stiff. He needed to hit the gym harder.  
  
"What did you eat?"  
  
"Does it fucking matter?"   
  
"Gavin... what did you eat?"  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes and repositioned Remy. "Half a can of Spaghetti-Os, okay? I didn't exactly have time to be Gordon fuckin' Ramsey. You live closer to the park than I do."  
  
Connor immediately started to lecture him, and Gavin allowed himself to space out, Connor's voice growing muffled as he focused on holding his dog. He did catch the last part of the lecture, though. "We should go somewhere and get you something to eat."  
  
"Yeah? Well, no where is going to us in with dogs. I'll stop at McDonald's on the way home. Or are you going to bitch about that too?"  
  
"The amount of sodium in their burgers alone-"  
  
"My point exactly." Gavin said with a wink.  
  
Connor bit his lip. "I could cook for you."  
  
"Wh-what?"  
  
Connor adjusted Sumo's leash nervously. "I cook for Hank nearly everyday, and he enjoys it. I'm not sure how valid his opinion is, and I've never tried the food myself, but..." He shrugged. "Hank says I'm a good cook. When I have free time I look up recipes I think he would enjoy."  
  
Gavin stared at him for a moment. What the fuck? Connor could _cook_? The old familiar feeling for irritation when Connor tried to take care of him reared it's ugly head. "I know how to fucking cook, dumbass."  
  
Connor just raised a challenging eyebrow. "You mean to tell me you're going to feel like cooking after giving Remy a bath?" Gavin didn't say anything, because he had a point. "If you don't mind Sumo being at your house, you can bathe Remy and I can cook you dinner. I have a feeling you'd be more honest about my cooking than Hank anyway."  
  
Gavin licked his lips. He _was_ hungry, and he couldn't lie... he was intrigued. "Fine. You can cook for me. But don't make it weird, okay? You're not like my fucking robot servant just because you're my partner. Get in the fucking car."  
  
Connor was smiling like he won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as I said a couple of chapters back, I got some artwork commissioned by the absolutely wonderful CreatureXIII.  
>   
> Words CANNOT express how happy I am with it. It turned out so adorable!!!
> 
> You can find the artist's platforms below:  
> [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/CreatureXIII)  
> [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/creaturexiii/?igshid=1pga2sr5r68ar)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/creaturexiii?s=21)  
> [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/creaturexlll)


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm suuuper bad at replying back to comments but I think I got everyone for this fic! (Even though my inbox is still at 298 for my other fics... whoops). I appreciate everyone's comments so much! I need payment in the form of validation lmao.

Getting the dogs to Gavin's car was a bit of a... struggle. Gavin was clearly struggling with carrying Remy. It wasn't because he wasn't strong enough, but she was a tad overweight and cumbersome, and kept wiggling in his arms at the sound of any leaves blowing in the wind, or any bird cawing, Meanwhile, Sumo just kept a pleasant pace on his leash, his tongue still hanging out and tail still wagging. Connor offered to help Gavin, but he had refused. It was... cute. It was almost like he had something to prove, and Connor couldn't help but smile. Gavin hated feeling emasculated, so if he wanted to struggle with Remy, he'd let him. Besides, he was taking mental snapshots of this moment, of Gavin happy and his face flushed while his beloved dog was being a brat. Sometimes having your own "cellphone" built into your being had it's perks, and Gavin was far too distracted to notice the flicker and flash of his LED as he took the pictures. It brought Connor back to when he had found Gavin's Instagram profile, of how most of his pictures had been grumpy and displeased, and how none of those pictures _actually_ captured Gavin, none of them showed how attractive and happy he could really be. 

When they arrived at Gavin's house, Gavin ordered Remy to the door, and as soon as he opened up the car, she ran up to the front door and at sat at it, looking over her shoulder expectantly for Gavin to open the door for her. Gavin just sighed and muttered something about her being a princess. Connor crawled out and opened the back passenger door to retrieve Sumo, and he noticed Gavin was rubbing his injured arm as he made his way up to the front door. "How's your arm?" He asked, concerned.

"Just a little sore thanks to Remy's fatass." He teased with a chuckle, unlocking the door and letting his dog in. Remy was looking at him like she understood what he said, and he added "Oh, sweetheart, you know I don't mean it. You're just pleasantly plump. But yeah, the wound is pretty much healed. The muscle is just still a little wonky." He held the door open for Connor and Sumo as Remy bounded inside, running over to her dog bed to retrieve her favorite squeaky toy to bring it over to Sumo and share it with him. Connor smiled. 

"Can I see it?" Connor asked, bending down to unlatch Sumo's leash. 

"See what?' Gavin asked.

When Connor looked up, Gavin was staring at him distractedly. Connor smiled wider, noticing that Gavin seemed to do that a lot more when Connor was wearing less clothing, like he was distracted by the exposed skin that was normally concealed using a jacket and tie. Connor wasn't completely naïve. Gavin found him attractive. And Connor wasn't entirely innocent. After Gavin's response to Tina's comment earlier at work, Connor had intentionally decided not to put his jacket and tie back on, and it was worth it to catch Gavin's stares. Connor knew he was playing with fire. He knew it was dumb to fan that little flame in his stomach when he caught Gavin looking at him lustfully, especially when he had feelings for Gavin. But there was something addictive about knowing that Gavin found him attractive, and he wished he could run an analysis on exactly what was going through Gavin's head when he looked at him with dilatated pupils, unconsciously wetting his lips as his eyes scanned over Connor. Connor cleared his throat. "Your arm, Gavin. I'm asking to see your arm."

"Oh." Gavin said, adverting his eyes and removing his jacket to hang it on a coat peg before taking Sumo's leash from Connor's hands and laying it so it hung over the jacket. He was wearing a simple black v neck now that his jacket was back, and Connor liked it. Especially with the jacket gone. The shirt clung to him in all the right spots, across his pecs and biceps, and the v cut just deep enough to reveal the slightest bit of the light smattering of chest hair that Gavin had. **[[System temperature ↑]]**

Connor reached out gently, pulling up the sleeve of the shirt to expose the entire wound since it was partially covered. It was nothing more than a scab at this point, and it wasn't even a particularly bad one, the scab fading around the edges to a tender pink as it healed to leave a scar. "It does look much better." He said softly. He analyzed the wound, confirming that it was well on it's way to healing, but he didn't want to remove his hands from Gavin's arm. He could feel the heat of Gavin's skin under his grip, could feel the firmness of Gavin's muscle under his grip. Connor gently stroked the scarring area with his thumb, and was delighted to see goosebumps pop up on Gavin's arm. Gavin was very responsive to touch and it was interesting, to say the least.

"I should, uh, give Remy a bath now." Gavin muttered quietly. Connor glanced up to meet Gavin's eyes and he was watching him curiously. Connor allowed his hands to fall to his sides. "You can use whatever you want in the kitchen. There's uh, there's not much. I kinda live on take out and frozen pizza."

"I figured as much."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Gavin snapped, glancing down at his stomach as if he feared he was gaining weight.

Connor laughed. "Only that I didn't take you for the type to cook every night." Gavin poked at his stomach and frowned, making Connor roll his eyes. He swatted Gavin's hand away. "You look _fine_."

Gavin looked up and smirked, confidence replacing his theatrics. "Fine, huh?" He said cockily, taking a step forward, a flirty glint in his eyes.

 **[[System temperature ↑]]** "Weren't you going to bathe Remy?" Connor asked, feeling hot under his button up's collar as his LED pulsed yellow for a split second.

"Uh, right." Gavin mumbled, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Remy!" He called. She barked from the living room, followed by a boof from Sumo and Gavin just sighed, abandoning Connor in favor of collecting his dog. Connor just smiled and shook his head, and made his way into the kitchen.

Connor began rummaging through Gavin's fridge and cabinets, and quickly realized Gavin was right. There wasn't much to work with. He searched his database, running a cross check with the ingredients in Gavin's home and recipes that he could find on Google. The only remotely edible thing that was coming up was chicken alfredo, taking some liberties and substitutions, but Connor felt like he could pull it off.  
  
He started the meal as Gavin was bathing Remy and Sumo remained in the living room playing with her squeaky toy. He shot Hank a quick mental text to let him know he would be home late while he was colleting ingredients, and Hank sent him a teasing reply about never being home anymore. Connor was relieved to see that Gavin at least had all the herbs and spices needed, making the recipe easier to pull off because the article open in his mind window expressed how important it was to the dish. He began boiling the pot of water for the noodles (not fettucine noodles, but they would do) and prepped the pan with butter for the chicken. He finished seasoning and frying the chicken when Gavin came into the kitchen, the front of his shirt slightly wet and the steam and moisture from the bath causing his hair to curl at the nape of his neck. As Connor turned to face him, he realized he liked Gavin like this best, relaxed in his own home with an easy, confident smile on his face. It wasn't the same façade he received at the DPD, it was just Gavin being comfortable in his own home, being content around Connor.  
  
"Jesus." Gavin muttered, coming over to the stove. "I thought you meant you were going to make frozen fishsticks and instant mashed potatoes or something. You're actually _cooking_."  
  
"Well, that was the plan, yes." Connor said with a smirk, adding the noodles to the boiling water.  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes and placed a hand on the countertop by the stove, leaning close to Connor. "You know, my mom was Italian. She was an amazing cook. If you mess this up, I'll never be able to forgive you."  
  
Connor raised a quizzical eyebrow. "All I have to do is follow the recipe."  
  
"Cooking is _so_ much more than just following a recipe, tin can. Maybe Markus will hurry up with his whole android food thing so you can realize that."  
  
Connor added more butter to the pan to start on the sauce once the chicken was done, and when it was fully melted, he added the heavy cream. "Markus is quickly learning that it's easier said than done. He's experimenting with another update instead. He found that if he can make the thirium in our stomachs more acidic, it might actually be easier for us just to ingest human food and allow the thirium to break down the food."  
  
Gavin bit his lip. "Fuck. You plastic pricks just keep becoming more and more human don't you?" Connor just smirked at him. "So, what seasoning are you putting in the sauce?"  
  
"I can literally _feel_ you judging me, Gavin."  
  
"Hey, this is your first time cooking for me. It's a big deal."  
  
Connor really, really loved the easy, happy smile on Gavin's face. He added the Parmigiano-Reggiano and some seasoning. "Wording it that way would suggest I'll be cooking for you again."  
  
Gavin winked. "Impress me, and I might keep you around." He leaned in closer to hover over the pan, his shoulder pressing against Connor's. "That's all you're adding?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Connor stopped stirring the sauce to glare at Gavin. "Is there something you want to say, Gavin?"  
  
"You can taste things right? Or is it all DNA analysis?"  
  
"I can taste things since the last update."  
  
"Okay, look." Gavin put his hands on Connor's hips to gently move him out of the way, and the touch was electric, though fleeting. It was as if it created this energy, and the air was abuzz with potential from that one simple touch. Gavin avoided his eyes, probably feeling it too, and took the wooden spoon from his hands, their fingers grazing each other. Gavin stirred the sauce a few more times before scooping some up in the spoon. He gently grasped Connor's bicep to steady himself and brought the spoon up to Connor's lips. "Taste this." He said gently.  
  
Connor opened his mouth slowly, unable to look away from Gavin's eyes. This moment felt intimate, and painfully domestic, and Connor wondered if it was a moment that should be shared between two people who were just friends. It was a moment that lit his insides and caused the hair on his arms to stand on end. It was attraction, and craving, and longing and Connor desperately wished that it wasn't one sided. He remembered when he thought androids couldn't want anything, remembered telling Hank that during an investigation. So much had changed since then. He slowly took the spoon his mouth, and at first, his system did try to analyze the make up of the sauce, but he switched it over to the taste feature, and his taste buds burst with flavor. It was the first thing he had actively tried to taste since the android alcohol, and it was delicious. Pulling away from the spoon, he licked his lips and swallowed, the motion of his artificial adam's apple catching Gavin's eye as he watched him swallow.  
  
"How is it?" Gavin asked, his voice suddenly hoarse.  
  
Connor could feel himself heating up even more. Gavin was so close. He could smell the scent of his cologne and sweat, could feel the heat radiating off of him, and Gavin was looking at him with hunger that had nothing to do with his poor diet. "It tastes... good." He said slowly.  
  
"Now I... I'm going to make it taste better." Gavin reached for the nutmeg, which was not at all part of the particular recipe that Connor was using. He also added more oregano and and basil, and Connor wanted to argue that he was over seasoning, but then he stirred it a few more times and brought the spoon back up to Connor's lips. "Try it now." Connor did, and it tasted... amazing. It was completely unique, the nutmeg not in the least overpowering. but providing a deep, rich flavor that perfectly complimented the other ingredients and would go excellent with the seasoned chicken. Connor was speechless. "Tolllld youuu." Gavin teased with a grin.  
  
Connor wanted to smack the spoon out of his hand, both out of spite, and to kiss him. Gavin being happy and confident was incredibly attractive and endearing, seeing him without the stress of work on his shoulders was a fresh of breath air that made Connor realize _just_ how much he liked him. "The noodles should be done now." He said quietly, his skin on fire with the base urge of _wanting_. Wanting Gavin, wanting to touch, wanting this moment to never end.  
  
"Uh, right." Gavin said sheepishly, his cheeks lighting up pink. He handed the spoon back to Connor to drain the noodles over the sink. "Just keep stirring that."  
  
"Yes, sir." Connor replied sarcastically.  
  
"Smartass." Gavin replied with a grin, draining the noodles.  
  
The rest of the process went by quickly, and all Connor could think about was how rewarding it would feel to kiss Gavin, to feel his lips against his own. It was now _his_ turn to stare, to watch as Gavin's muscles flexed underneath his v neck, to watch the way his lips moved as he explained that his mom had taught him the secret about the nutmeg. Connor had never wanted something so badly, never wanted _someone_ so badly before. "Gavin?" He started.  
  
"Yeah?" Gavin asked distractedly, stirring the noodles into the sauce.  
  
"I..." Connor panicked. He couldn't be stupid. He couldn't ruin what they had finally built between them by being selfish. He still wasn't sure why he had developed these feelings for Gavin. He internally cursed god, or Kamski, or RA9, or whatever higher being that would listen for making it _Gavin_ he was experiencing these thoughts and feelings for "I'm going to go check on the dogs." He lied quickly. He left the kitchen, forcing himself to cool down as he made his way into the living room and his LED flashed red a couple of times. He was thankfully immediately distracted by the sight of Remy and Sumo. They had both crammed into her dog bed and were both spilling out the sides, but cuddled together in a large ball of fur, napping.  
  
"Oh fuck, that's cute." Gavin suddenly said from behind him, pulling out his phone to take a picture of them. It caused a fluttering in Connor's stomach. How was he supposed to tell if it was butterflies or warning signs?  
  
Connor turned to face him, smiling sadly. "I'd better go, Gavin." He said softly.  
  
"What? You're not going to stick around?" Gavin asked, disappointed.  
  
"We're done cooking. and I can't exactly eat what we've made." He turned to face the dogs. and jokingly added "And I should probably get Sumo home before he falls in love with Remy." _Or before I fall in love with you._ His brain supplied uselessly, causing his LED to swirl a steady red for approximately 43.4 seconds.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Sure. Let me give you a ride home?"  
  
"No, Gavin. You should eat. I'll get a cab. But I'll see you tomorrow at work. I... I had fun tonight."  
  
Gavin blushed and he ran a and through his hair self consciously. "Yeah. Me too, dipshit. I uh, I liked that Sumo and Remy got to meet, I mean." He smiled slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for dinner. You're not half bad."  
  
Connor winked. "I'll have to try the nutmeg secret out on Hank."  
  
"Whoa now, don't you be giving out my ma's secret to everyone."  
  
Connor humored him. "I wouldn't dream of it." He gave Gavin one last forlorn glance before rounding up Sumo and latching his leash as the automated taxi approached. "Good night, Gavin." He reached for the door but Gavin slid past him smoothly to hold it open for him.  
  
"Night, tin can." He reached down to tussle Sumo's ears as they walked by, and gave Connor one last smile before closing the door behind them.  
  
Connor exhaled. He didn't necessarily "need" to breathe. It was all a simulation to appear more human, but in that moment he realized regardless of how real or fake it was, he could barely breathe around Gavin. It was all too much. Wanting something so desperately and not being able to have it _hurt_. He held Sumo extra close in the cab as it took them back home.  
  
  
  
  
"That was a long walk." Hank stated when Connor entered the kitchen. Sumo ran over to greet Hank, and Hank grinned and rubbed his head. Hank was sitting at the kitchen table scrolling through a tablet and Connor noticed a bottle in Hank's hand. There was a fleeting moment of panic. **[[Analyzing... IBC Cream Soda. The bottle is similar to a beer bottle, but the beverage has no alcohol.]]** Connor immediately relaxed.  
  
"Uh, I wasn't just at the dog park." Connor replied slowly, choosing the honest route and taking the seat across from Hank.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Hank took a sip of his soda. "Where else did you and gentle Kujo here go?"  
  
Connor fidgeted with the rolled up sleeve of his shirt nervously. "We went to Detective Reed's house." Hank's expression immediately darkened and Connor winced. "I wanted to introduce Sumo to Gavin's dog Remy."  
  
Hank's index finger tapped against his bottle a few times thoughtfully. "Listen, I'm thrilled Reed isn't at your throat anymore... but what the fuck, Connor."  
  
Laughing uncomfortably, Connor stroked Sumo to have something to do with his hands. "I meant it when I said Gavin isn't... that bad."  
  
"Guess not, since he's _Gavin_ now instead of Detective Dickhead. He being nice to you?" Hank asked gruffly.  
  
"Very nice." Connor replied with a sincere smile. "He's been really pleasant to work with." Hank eyed him suspiciously. **[[Analyzing... cautious but distrusting.]]**  
  
"So you two..." Hank started slowly. "You're friends now? You? You're friends with Gavin fucking Reed? Android hater extraordinaire?"  
  
Connor raised a challenging eyebrow. "Apparently I have an effect on people who were once self proclaimed android haters."  
  
Hank snorted. "Oh yeah, you've definitely been spending too much time with him. I see his smartass humor is rubbing off on you." Connor just smiled and tilted his head. "Hey, don't give me that kicked puppy look. I'm not going to chew your head off for seeing... something in Reed. I'm just..." He sighed, his finger tapping on his bottle again. "I'm just saying be careful. I'm not at work so I don't know what the fuck is going on with the kid. But I did get a call from Fowler the other day telling me that maybe I should have broken my leg a long time ago because Gavin's head isn't quite so far shoved up his ass since he's been working with you. I don't know what you did, but whatever it was, you did it right."  
  
"I didn't do anything." Connor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.  
  
"That's just it, Con. You just..." Hank gestured at him. "Be you and it seems to work on people. That part of your programming?"  
  
"Yes. But if I recall correctly, you once told me that CyberLife 'fucked up' when it came to me and my programming."  
  
Hank burst out laughing. "All I'm saying is be careful. I know firsthand that Reed can flip flop faster than a politician, and I'm getting too old to try to kick his ass if I need to."  
  
There was something being left unsaid. Connor could see it in the reminiscent expression on Hank's face. What did he mean by he knew that first hand? "What do you mean by flip flop?" He asked.  
  
Hank scratched at his beard uncomfortably. "I've just known him for a long time, okay? Like I said before, he wasn't always bad. He started out on the force as a really good kid. But then it was like he became this raging asshole overnight. I just don't want you to be on the receiving end of that if he decides to switch up again. But hey, at least going to work won't be as draining. And if you two are getting along, maybe the DPD can actually bag this cocksucker killing people. How's the case going?"  
  
"Hank-"  
  
"I know, I know. I've been taken off the case so technically you're not supposed to fill me in. But this time off has been boring as shit, son. Humor me." Hank's eyes were pleading, and Connor couldn't help but laugh softly. He had been picking up on the 'kicked puppy' look and was trying it out for himself.  
  
"I think Gavin was able to make a major connection in the case. We're still trying to link an older victim and the latest to the theory, but it seems like the murderer is directly targeting humans that had relationships with androids and vice versa."  
  
"Christ. Does that mean I should be worried about you?"  
  
"...What?" How did Hank know that Connor had developed feelings for Gavin? He LED turned red and flickered and swirled as his thirium pump began working harder. Was he being obvious again, like he had been with North? But he and Gavin weren't in a relationship-  
  
"Yeah, like it's pretty common knowledge you have good relationships with humans. Are you going to be a target because of that?"  
  
Connor's thirium pump relaxed slowly as he realized what Hank meant. "We believe the killer is specifically targeting people that are having romantic or sexual relationships, not just general positive ones."  
  
"Oh." Hank snorted. "Well I guess you're in the clear then. If you're not here or at work, you're with Reed, so I guess you're not dating anyone, species aside." Connor took his hands off of Sumo to clench them in his lap because they had started shaking a little. "So, uh, why aren't you dating? Is that something you're interested in, or are you going to be like one of those hacks that claims they're married to their job?" Connor opened his mouth to speak, but Hank kept talking "Yeah, yeah, I know. Romance isn't for everyone, and that's okay. I'm just trying to... hell, I don't know what I'm trying to do."  
  
Connor smiled softly, warmth spreading through him that had nothing to do with his system temperature. Hank was trying to be a dad. That's what he was trying to do. "It's appealing. But the case is my main priority right now." It wasn't the full truth, but it certainly wasn't a lie.  
  
Hank scrunched up his nose in displeasure. "Do ya have to talk like that? Sounds like some shit you said back when you were CyberLife's- back before you became a deviant."  
  
"I'm just focusing on catching the killer for now, Hank."  
  
"That's better." Hank said with a grin, reaching across the table and slapping Connor on the shoulder. "I'm gonna get some shut eye. You should do the same." He stood and hobbled over to his crutches leaned against the fridge before disappearing into the hallway to head to his room.  
  
  
  
  
Later that night, Connor was lying in his bed. He and Hank never discussed how this had once been Cole's room, and they didn't need to. It had taken a long time for Hank to offer Connor the room as his own. Hank had made the couch comfortable for Connor in the meantime, which was completely unnecessary, but Connor had even woken up from his slumber multiple times to find a blanket draped over him, or an extra pillow. But one day Hank started packing up Cole's belongings, that had long since started collecting dust in the unused room. It took quite awhile for Hank to finish packing up the room, and one night, Connor just sat with him quietly in the room while Hank described the significance of certain photographs, or toys, or books. It was bittersweet for Hank, and he had slipped up and gotten very drunk that night before completely swearing off alcohol. He shifted between irritable and morose for days after, but finally it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and one day when Connor returned from the store, he found Hank in the room making up the bed with new bedding, the rest of the room bare except for a photograph of him and Hank, and a photograph of Connor carrying Sumo like a giant baby. Since then, Connor's (identical) clothing lined the closet, and Connor had accumulated numerous house plants that he enjoyed tending to. It would always be Cole's room. But that didn't make it any less Connor's room now.  
  
Connor had lied in bed numerous nights thinking about it. Thinking about how he had a home, and even a family now. He wasn't just a machine. He had a father figure, a dog, family with the Jericrew, and even friends.  
  
And whatever he had with Gavin.  
  
Connor still wasn't entirely sure what they had. It felt like they had somehow slipped past the line of friendship, but at the same time, that's all they were. Friends. And it had taken Gavin a long time to even admit that that's what they were. Unable to sleep, Connor decided to surf the internet in his mind's eye, somehow ending up back on Gavin's Instagram. There was a new picture, the one Gavin had taken of Sumo and Remy, crammed into her dog bed pathetically. The caption read 'I wish it was as easy as these two dumbasses make it look.'  
  
Connor smiled, closing all the tabs in his mind. If only it were that easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that a hint of more of a backstory involving Hank and Gavin's past? Idk, AnchorsOutAtSea is bein kinda sus.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having a really hard time with my mental health lately, so writer's block has been inevitable. 
> 
> I just wanted to say thank you to Kristina for giving me the idea for the base of this chapter, because something really big is coming up and I needed a bit of a filler to transition us to that event in the fic that's right around the corner. Thank you for allowing me to always jump into your inbox with my nonsense. <3
> 
> A lot of this was done on my phone instead of my computer, so hopefully the formatting looks alright.

Gavin hadn't slept. This wasn't new. He rarely did, and if he managed to, it was rarely more than a few hours of shut eye. He was used to going without sleep. What he wasn't used to was the fact that he was losing sleep over _someone else_. It wasn't stressing over work or a random episode of insomnia. He could handle not sleeping because he couldn't stop going over case files. He could even handle the nights where his brain just refused to shut off for no reason at all, and his body refused to drift off. But now, it was _Connor_ that was making him stay up at night, and it was driving him up the fucking wall. And maybe that had something to do with the fact that maybe, just maybe, he had finally admitted to himself that him starting to like Connor wasn't just him being a thirsty bitch because Connor was hot. No, it was more than that. Gavin had a fucking full fledged _crush_.

Gavin's second alarm for work went off and he turned it off, just like he had the first. He had been trying to convince himself that wasn't the case, that he didn't have a crush like some giddy school girl. Connor was just a cool dude, a good partner, and he happened to be good looking. Of course he no longer hated him. Of course he even liked him. But it was _more_ than that now. He wasn't just thinking about what it would be like to fuck him. His sappy, hopeless dumbass was thinking about what it would be like to just kiss him, with no intention of it leading to sex. He couldn't stop thinking about what Connor's reaction would be if he just did some dumb shit like hold his hand. Gavin groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face, his stubble scraping against his palm. He wanted to call out of work, or maybe get drunk, or flee the country and change his identity, or puke, or _something_ , but none of that was an option because he was a contributing member of society or whatever. He heard a faint scratching at his door and with a lot of defeated effort, turned his head on his pillow to see Remy pushing her way into his room. She came over to his bed and looked up at him, her tail wagging, probably wondering where her breakfast was.

"C'mere." He mumbled hoarsely, patting the empty space on the bed next to him. She tilted her head at him, knowing she wasn't supposed to jump up on the bed. Gavin rolled his eyes. "Oh, so _now_ you want to listen to that rule?" She whined, her soft eyes uncertain. "Yeah, well, your owner is a god damn human disaster and needs cuddles right now because he fucked up, okay? So, just get up here." He turned over and patted the bed again and she finally jumped up, curling up next to him and licking his face while he grimaced. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, whining pathetically against her fur. "What the fuck is wrong with me, Rems?" He groaned sadly. "This is _bullshit_. I don't get emotionally attached to people. That's not me. I don't do the whole dating, dramatic declarations of love thing. I'm not that guy. I can't even remember the last time I got a crush on someone. High school, maybe?" Remy understandably ignored him, but he kept ranting to her anyway. "And Connor? Of all fucking people? It couldn't be the hot guy from the bagel joint?" Remy shuffled in his grip and he sighed. "I _know_ he's too young for me, I was just using him as an example. But Connor? Jesus fucking Christ. A fucking _android_. And I know androids can have feelings or whatever now, but that's besides the point. How did I go from literally trying to put a bullet in that fuckers head, to wanting to kiss him?" Gavin's third alarm went off, titled 'get up before you're late, dumbass' and he sighed. Whether he liked it or not, it was time to face the day.

His alarm hadn't been joking, and Gavin was almost late. He was going to have to clock in first and _then_ make coffee, but of course he didn't actually have to, because when he got to his desk, there was a steaming mug already there, with Connor smiling at him from his own desk. His android identifying jacket was draped over the back of his chair, his tie was MIA, and his sleeves were rolled up again. God, Gavin was so fucked. When did he become so easy? Since when had cheap, breakroom coffee and the ditching of a jacket been the key to his heart? Of course that wasn't the only factor, he knew that for a fact as he immediately smiled back and gulped down half the cup, burning his tongue. It had a lot to do with the fact that Connor was literally looking up at him like he was something worth metaphorically looking up to, like he wasn't just the department scumbag with a hate for protocol and a temper.

"Good morning, Gavin." Connor spoke as Gavin took his seat and clocked in. "Running late today?'

"Yeah, I didn't really sleep much last night." Gavin said, smirking smugly when his clock in was accepted with only 3 seconds left on the clock before it rolled over and he was considered late.

"Me either." Connor replied sadly. "Not going into sleep mode doesn't affect me nearly as much as you not sleeping affects you, but it does make my systems run a bit slower."

Gavin laughed. "You trying to tell me that neither of us will be worth a damn today?" Gavin ignored the fluttering in his stomach when the shitty joke made Connor smile.

"I hope that's not the case, because I have good news."

"Oh, I'm a sucker for good news, tin can. Lay it on me."

"I've been doing some more research this morning, and your theory was right about the connection of the string of victims. An individual who was romantically involved with the victim we couldn't connect finally came forward to confess they were in a relationship."

Gavin raised an eyebrow and logged into the department's server, not seeing anything new. "They came forward? Like came here?"

Connor chuckled lightly. "Not quite. They did a livestream on social media about the prejudice towards android-human relationships, and finally confessed to being the victim's partner. It was a very emotional, touching speech. Markus reached out to him, and relayed the information to me, and I was able to find the stream. Markus also invited us somewhere tonight."

Gavin leaned back in his computer chair and stretched, eyeing Connor. God, he was so fucking good looking with his stupid whiskey brown eyes and curved lips and it wasn't _fair_. "Oh yeah? What's robo Jesus want?"

Connor rolled his eyes, but Gavin knew it was fondly. "There's an android-human relations event tonight that he's holding."

Scrunching up his nose in disgust, Gavin replied. "Why would I want to go to that? I don't like people, human or androids. And I don't like crowds."

The look Connor gave him was unimpressed. "Because that seems like the kind of event that the killer could be interested in going to in order to scope out potential victims."

"Oh shit. You have a point. I'm not gonna be the only human there, am I?"

Connor tilted his head. "Does that make you uncomfortable?"

Gavin tapped his fingers against his desk nervously. "It's not that it makes me uncomfortable. But it is a little intimidating, being the only one that's different." Connor just stared at him for a moment, waiting for the thought process to connect. Gavin scoffed. "Don't give me that look. You've never been the only android here, only the first android detective."

"So I can relate to your hesitancy, regardless. You won't be the only human, no. There will be more androids than humans, most likely, but there is a team of humans that work with Markus as well, along with those that have been invited. If it would make you more comfortable, you could invite Chris and Tina as well. Markus insists that my friends are his friends." Connor smiled brightly at that statement, and god, Gavin nearly fucking swooned.

"Tina works the night shift tonight, I think. But, uh, I could ask Chris. He might be down to go."

"Feel free to invite who you would like." Connor's eyes scanned over Gavin, and Gavin had to force himself not to shiver. "It is a semi formal event. You won't be able to show up dressed in jeans and a leather jacket."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gavin snapped. "You think I can't clean up nice?"

Connor smirked. "I wouldn't know. I've only ever seen you like this."

Connor was challenging him, Gavin could see it in the teasing glint in his eyes. Oh, Gavin was going to show his cocky ass. He was going to be the most dapper mother fucker at that relations event.

Gavin was pretty sure that spite would be the death of him. He felt like he was trying way, way too hard, and all he had done was put on black slacks and a red button up with a black tie. Okay... maybe he had also shaved a bit. Not completely clean shaven because he would have looked like a fucking dweeb, but his stubble was shorter. And maybe he had spent a little more time styling his hair. And maybe he was wearing expensive cologne that he rarely pulled out. But that was besides the point. He was looking fine as fuck, despite being a little nervous about the event. He really did hate large crowds of people, but at least Chris had agreed to go. Chris had also insisted on driving, and picking up both Gavin and Connor seeing as he had the nicest car. Chris was the opposite of Gavin in this situation. He loved dressing up, loved fancy events where he could do a bit of peacocking. Meanwhile, Gavin was really hoping they were at least serving alcohol at the event.

Chris laid on the horn as soon as he pulled in the driveway, and Gavin grabbed his things quickly and told Remy goodbye before locking up and climbing in the car.

Chris' eyebrows immediately shot up at the sight of Gavin. "Jesus, who are you and what did you do with Gavin Reed?"

"Shut the fuck up, Chris. Connor said there was a dress code."

"A dress code doesn't require that fancy ass cologne you doused yourself in. What is that, Yves Saint Laurent? Who are you trying to impress?"

"What?" Gavin asked nervously, buckling himself in as Chris pulled off. "No one. It's just supposed to be this nice event. I mean, look at you. You look like you just stepped on the red carpet. And you're trying to give me shit?"

"Don't hate on the look, Gavin. I won't be able to keep the ladies off of me." Christ replied confidently, adjusting the expensive watch on his wrist before returning a hand to the steering wheel." While Chris' car was basically brand new and high tech, Gavin could at least appreciate that he didn't use the self driving feature. Not many cops did.

"So that's why you agreed to come? To hook up with some girl?" Gavin asked, rolling his eyes.

A small, almost secretive smile spread across Chris' lips. "Actually, no." He said with a happy chuckle. "Uh, that date I went on the other night actually went well. Like really well. I really like her. We have another date tomorrow." He frowned dramatically. "I can't believe a girl convinced me to go on a brunch date."

"No shit?" Gavin said with a huge grin. "What's her name? When do I get to meet her?"

"Let's not get hasty, man. It was one date. But her name is Andrea. She's a lawyer and talks circles around me... but I really like her."

"Fuck. Power couple!" Gavin teased. He was sincerely happy for Chris. Chris generally had terrible luck with women, and most of the ones he asked out weren't nearly smart enough to be dating Chris anyway. "But brunch, huh? I see she's already got you whipped."

Chris snorted. "I only agreed under the circumstance that she doesn't make me get a mimosa."

Gavin laughed and they pulled into Hank's driveway. Gavin saw some light flicker from a window and looked over to see Hank peeping out of the blinds, his eyes narrowed at the car. So apparently, Hank was still skeptical of Connor hanging out with him. Connor opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Oh yeah. Gavin was _so_ fucked. Connor really didn't look much different than he always did, but instead he had changed out his regular white button up for a soft blue one that looked amazing on him, albeit a little stiff because it seemed to be new. Connor was hurriedly putting on his tie as he approached the car, and Gavin couldn't tear his eyes away.

"Oh yeah. _I'm_ the one that's whipped." Chris muttered softly.

Gavin whipped his head around to glare at Chris. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He snapped.

Chris smirked knowingly. "It means you're _painfully_ obvious but think you're not. And even if you weren't obvious, that drool on your chin is."

Oh no no no no no. Nope. Absolutely not. Gavin _had_ to reel it in. He was being _obvious_ now? Hell fucking no. He fought the blush rising on his cheeks and growled. "Oh, fuck off Chris. You're delusional." Chris opened his mouth to reply, but Connor interrupted him by opening the car door. He turned to Connor instead. "Looking good, Con. You ready?"

"Of course, Chris. You both look very nice." He looked over to Gavin, who was twisting himself to look in the back seat at him. Right. He was supposed to be not-obvious. "I have to admit, I'm a little surprised you followed the dress code, Gavin."

Chris snorted out a laugh. "Me and you both. I don't think I've ever seen him look this good."

Connor just smiled at Gavin as her glared at Chris. This was going to be a long fucking night.

Gavin regretted everything. It all started with being born. Because then he had to be alive. And then grow up. And then decide to get a job in law enforcement. And then meet Connor. And end up at an event with _hundreds_ of people, all because he just _had_ to be a good detective, and just _had_ to be unable to say no to Connor. Chris was all for it, his face lighting up at the amount of people and the sight of an open bar. Gavin immediately made a mental note to be the DD while his eyes scanned the place for any and all exits. He wanted to believe it was because he was a detective, but also knew it was because the sight of the crowd made him want a cigarette. His only saving grace was that security had let him keep his gun when he flashed his badge and Connor explained he was with him. God, it was like Gavin was at a party for the president or something. But it made perfect sense that Markus would be so cautious, and Gavin really wanted to give him kudos for that.

Chris fucked off to the bar, and Connor was immediately approached by another android that recognized him. Gavin took the opportunity to slink off to the second floor because not only was it less crowded, but he could also see more of the floor to search for suspicious behavior. He leaned against the railing, looking over the first floor when he heard a familiar voice.

"So, you decided to drop the whole bad boy look for the night, huh?" North leaned against the railing next to him, her eyes scanning the floor along with him. She looked beautiful in her elegant but simple dress, but looked just as uncomfortable as Gavin felt.

"Bad boy look?' Gavin scoffed. "I think you're projecting some of your fantasies on me, North." He gave her a cocky smile and she smacked his arm playfully. "Tell Markus I'm complimenting him on the security measures. He's a smart man."

"That he is. I think it's a bit overkill, because Markus can absolutely handle things himself, but I think his concern is more for the other people attending the event. Too many people, humans and androids alike, have been dying lately."

"Yeah..." Gavin rubbed the back of his neck. "Connor and I are working on it."

"Is that why you're here?" North asked. "Because you agree with Connor that this type of event could attract the killer?"

"Yep." Gavin replied with a sigh. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be at something like this. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Markus is working so hard on trying to pave the way to making things better for androids, and easing the tension from humans. But big events like this? Not really my thing."

"It's not really my thing either." North agreed. She suddenly smiled and laughed. "I guess that's one of the many reasons Markus and Simon are a better match. Simon matches Markus' energy perfectly. They really complement each other."

"Oh yeah. That's right." Gavin said, loosening his tie because it was already bothering him. "I saw you two kiss on television during the revolution. I'm guessing that didn't work out?"

"You'd be guessing right. But there are no hard feelings. Simon was always the better match for Markus. I loved him but... I don't think I was ever in love with him." She laughed softly. "Now Simon? Head over heels."

Gavin bit his lip. He felt like it was a weird question to ask, but he was just too curious. "What's it like? Like androids dating? Is it any different than with humans? ....fuck, was that racist?"

North laughed again. "No, it's not any different at all. Of course, two androids dating can connect on a different level than a human and an android. But the emotions we experience are the same emotions you experience." She glanced over at him, her eyebrow raised. "Why? Do you have your eye on an android?"

"Wh- no- why would you think that? I was just curious!" He felt like the lie wasn't at all believed, but North didn't press him any further. God, he was a shit liar.

"The event is about to begin. You might want to find your people and grab a good seat. It was nice to see you, Gavin."

"Yeah, you too, North. If I don't see Josh, Markus, or Simon tonight, tell them I said hey."

"Can do." She said, straightening up. She licked her lips for a moment, pausing. "Thanks for coming tonight. It means a lot to Connor. _You_ mean a lot to Connor." She smiled and strode off before Gavin could reply. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Had the tin can dipshit been talking about him to his friends?

Gavin sighed and stood up straight, deciding to take North's advice and look for Connor and Chris. He found Chris still hanging around the bar schmoozing, and told him to stay there until he found Connor. Connor was still talking to the android from earlier, and Gavin froze when he saw them. The android was clearly flirting with Connor. He kept touching Connor, and was either too dumb or too persistent to see that Connor kept subtly shaking his hand away. Gavin wasn't sure if it was just jealousy, or if the persistence reminded him of Michael, but it definitely pissed him the fuck off, and he stalked over to them.

"Hey, Connor." He said, intentionally rudely interrupting them. "I just ran into North and she said we should probably go ahead and find seats." He shot the other android a particularly nasty look.

Connor just smirked at him and raised an eyebrow. Fuck, was he being obvious again? "It was nice to see you again. I'll be sure to relay your message to Markus." He reached his hand out to shake hands with the other android. "Have a good evening." The android finally took a cue, and left after shaking Connor's hand. Connor turned to Gavin, an unamused look on his face. "You know, I don't need you to keep rescuing me from social situations. I can handle them myself."

"What the fuck are you talking about, dumbass?" Gavin snapped, trying a little too hard. "I just don't want to have to stand during this thing, so we should probably find seats now."

"Hmm." Connor hummed. "Fine. Let's grab Chris." Connor suddenly glanced over Gavin's shoulder, causing him to turn and look in that direction.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just thought I saw someone. Let's find seats."

Gavin didn't know what he was expecting, but the event involved a lot of speeches from a lot of people, and he was bored out of his fucking mind. It wasn't that it was uninteresting, because some of it actually really piqued his interest. He hadn't realized how many people had been working on human-android relations, and all the things that had changed and what needed to change. The problem was, Gavin couldn't sit still and couldn't remember the last time he had to try to sit still for such a long period of time, and he kept losing focus on the the discussion. He kept adjusting the cuffs of his shirt, and his knee kept bouncing until Connor finally put his hand on it, shooting Gavin an annoyed look.

"What? I'm bored." Gavin whined in a whisper.

"I'm sorry things like my rights as an android are so boring to you." Connor muttered back. Gavin was trying not to think about the fact that Connor's hand was still on his knee firmly.

"What? No. You know that's not what I meant, asshole. I just can't focus, and there's _so_ many fucking people in here-"

"Then distract yourself because you're distracting _me_ -"

"Oh, I wish it were that fucking simple Mr.I'm-so-perfect-and-never-get-anxiety-"

Connor grabbed his hand and Gavin's brain went off line for a second. Connor's touch was gentle and warm, but firm and skilled, and Gavin couldn't breathe for a second until his brain registered that Connor wasn't trying to hold hand, but pull it into his lap, which wasn't much better until he realized what Connor was doing. He pinched the webbing between Gavin's index finger and thumb before massaging the area. "It's the union valley pressure point." Connor explained in a whisper. "It'll help you relax. Just breathe."

That was easier said than fucking done when Gavin felt like he was going to _faint_ because of Connor's fingers rubbing little circles on his hand and his fingers literally twitched at the thought of how easy it would be to just lace their fingers together. He stared at their hands dizzily. God, he was such a cosmic fuckup. Who got like this over a simple touch? It probably shouldn't even feel intimate, but it did, and suddenly Gavin's face was heating up and he felt so nervous-

" _Breathe_ Gavin." Connor hissed.

So, Gavin did. He took a deep, shuddering breath and just focused on his breathing, and slowly felt himself begin to relax. He glanced up at Connor in awe and Connor smiled. "It worked..." He whispered weakly.

Connor just smiled brighter, and placed Gavin's hand back in his own lap, patting it a little condescendingly.  
  
Chris snickered to Gavin's left and Gavin punched his arm, glaring at him even though he knew it lacked any real heat because he was still reeling.  
  
Gavin heard Markus' voice and looked up, noticing that he had taken the stage. He looked incredible, wearing a suit that just screamed dominance and professionalism, and every eye on in the crowd was on him, and even the other eyes on stage, including Simon that was looking at him with so much love, pride, and admiration that Gavin couldn't help but smile. The poor guy had it bad... and Gavin couldn't help but relate.  
  
Markus' speech was longer than the other's, but easier to focus on. Gavin wasn't sure if it was because he had relaxed or if it was because Markus was an absolute powerhouse that demanded attention with his passion. Gavin hadn't even thought about things like marriage rights when it came to androids, and he felt bad about it. He had just developed his first crush when gay marriage was legalized, and remembered what a big deal it was, even as a kid who was 13. He had zero plans of ever getting married, even back then, but the fact that the right had been denied to so many people for so long was insane. And he also couldn't help but notice how Markus' eyes kept flicking towards Simon when he talked about love, and fuck if that wasn't cute. His intentions were 100% clear, he wanted to marry him, and Gavin realized that he would probably be invited to one of the first ever android weddings.  
  
Once Markus' speech ended, he encouraged people to hang around and mingle, and the moment people started to disperse, Gavin excused himself to go back up stairs. He had noticed a balcony earlier when talking to North, and god did he need a smoke. The first hit filled his lungs and eased some more of anxiety. It was getting cooler out, thank god. He didn't want to think about how that meant his birthday was right around the corner. He heard the door leading to the balcony open and turned to see Connor joining him. Connor turned his back to the railing of the balcony, leaning against it with an easy smile on his face.  
  
"Thank you for coming, Gavin." He said softly. "I know that you hate this kind of thing."  
  
Gavin took another drag off his cigarette. "Yeah, well, we need to catch this fucker, right? See anything suspicious?"  
  
"Not so far. I don't exactly expect to. Are you okay?"  
  
Gavin laughed. "Yeah, I'll be fine. You're uh, little hand thing helped. Thanks." Connor was standing close, and suddenly Gavin was disinterested in his cigarettes and tossed it.  
  
Connor smiled, but then glanced over Gavin's shoulder like he had earlier, and his facial expression dropped as he sighed. "Hank, I can see you." He suddenly said loudly.  
  
Gavin turned to look through the giant glass windows and door leading inside to see Hank attempting (and failing) to hide behind a house plant just inside, framing the doorway. Gavin immediately busted out laughing because a) what the fuck was Hank doing? and b) how did he possibly think he was being sneaky?  
  
Hank looked a lot like a kid that had gotten his hand caught in the cookie jar as he sheepishly opened the balcony door, hobbling outside to join them. "In my defense, I did get an email from Markus with my invitation..."  
  
"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be walking around without your crutches this much. You're nearly healed." Connor asked, his lips pressed together in disapproval.  
  
Hank glanced at Gavin for a moment before speaking again. "Uh, this thing is important to you, right? I wanted to be here." The excuse would have been believable... had he not kept glancing at Gavin.  
  
"Oh my god!" Gavin exclaimed, laughing again. "You came here to spy on us because Connor is hanging out with me!"  
  
"What? No! You're so full of yourself, Reed. Not everything is about you!" Hank growled.  
  
"You're right, not everything is about me... but this is." Gavin replied with a smirk. "Don't worry, I'm not being a bad influence on your precious android son."  
  
"Gavin-" Connor warned, but Hank interrupted him.  
  
"I have just as much right to be here as you do. And I'm keeping my eye on you. How do I know _you're_ not the killer? Huh? You've already tried to kill Connor before! And I'm not about to fall for your bullshit just because you're suddenly nice to him!' Gavin couldn't stop laughing, which was only pissing Hank off more.  
  
"Hank, you can't be serious." Connor sighed. "Gavin isn't the killer."  
  
"How do we know that for sure?!"  
  
"Because _I'm_ his alibi for most of the murders." Connor said sternly. "Are you really so bored at home that you're coming up with wild theories and accusations?"  
  
"Sloppy detective work, Lieutenant." Gavin giggled with a mocking salute.  
  
Connor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose while his LED swirled yellow. "Hank, feel free to stay and enjoy the rest of your time here. But please... leave Gavin alone."  
  
Hank shot Gavin one last dirty look before speaking to Connor again. "I'm gonna go find Chris. I'll see you at home." He hobbled back inside, and Gavin flipped him off as soon as his back was turned.  
  
Connor narrowed his eyes at him. "You're really no help at all. Egging him on only makes him like you less. Can't both of you be civil for more than ten minutes when you're around each other?"  
  
"He just accused me of being a murderer and you're defending him?!" Gavin gaped. Wowww. It would make sense that Connor would take Hank's side, but still. Hank was the one that had made their work relationship turn sour way back when. It wasn't Gavin's fault that it had sucked and so he only fed into it.  
  
"I'm not defending _either_ of you. You both need to grow up and realize I can handle myself. Hank needs to realize he doesn't need to run to my aid when it comes to you, and you need to stop feeding into it and thinking you need to run to my aid whenever someone flirts with me. I can assure you that I'm not some damsel in distress." Connor was irritated, his LED flashing yellow rapidly. "I'm sick of being treated like a helpless child just because I have a pleasant disposition."  
  
Gavin stared at him, not realizing it upset him so much. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I know you're not helpless. You're a badass that could kill both me and Hank in the blink of an eye, and probably will one day if we both keep our shit up. Humans just... we get over protective when we care about someone."  
  
Connor rolled his eyes much more dramatically than he normally did, and Gavin grinned because he had definitely picked up that dramatics from him. "Oh, so, it's because you _care_?"  
  
Gavin took a step closer to him, still grinning. "Don't be such a brat. Of course I do." He noticed an eyelash on Connor's cheek, yet another small, meaningless thing that made him appear so incredibly human. Gavin reached out, because he was a fucking idiot, and cupped Connor's face with his hand, smoothing his thumb over his cheek bone to swipe the eyelash away. "Eyelash." Gavin muttered, his hand still clasped on Connor's face. "I think you're supposed to make a wish now."  
  
Connor leaned into Gavin's touch, making Gavin cradle his face as he looked into Gavin's eyes with his own. His LED pulsed bright blue, and Gavin couldn't bring himself to pull away. "I'm pretty sure what I would wish for would be asking for too much." He said quietly.  
  
Gavin swore to god his heart was about to beat out of his chest. Their faces were much too close, they were completely in each other's personal space, far past a comfort zone for Gavin, but he couldn't pull away. Connor was looking at him like he expected _more_ , like he was just waiting for Gavin to lean in and kiss him. And Gavin wanted to, he wanted to so fucking bad that all he could hear was the thrumming of his own pulse in his ears. Gavin leaned forward a little more without even thinking, like there was some magnetic pull that he had no control over as he glanced down at Connor's lips and he immediately panicked. He jerked his hand away, running it through his hair anxiously. "I gotta... I gotta go to the bathroom." Connor's eyebrows furrowed momentarily like he was confused and was going to say something, but Gavin was already ripping open the door and stumbling into the crowd of people. Oh god, he was so dumb. He was so fucking dumb. He had almost fucking _kissed_ Connor, and it wasn't the first time it had almost happened, but was the closest call. What the fuck was he thinking? He was supposed to be focusing on the case, and even if he _wasn't_ , it still would have been a cosmically terrible idea. He worked with Connor, they were partners, and Connor... didn't see him like that. He was surprised Connor wasn't currently strangling the life out of him on that balcony. That had been so _intimate_ , that was not shit two friends just did. But Connor was still new to this, and probably didn't realize it, and Gavin was fucking _stupid_.  
  
He found the bathroom and stumbled inside, relieved that no one was already at the sinks. He splashed cold water in his face and tried to take some calming breaths as he gripped the edge of the sink and tried to steady himself. Why couldn't he just control himself around Connor? It was like he was a man possessed, unable to fight the urge to just cave in and show Connor _just_ how much he cared about him. And how was that fair to Connor? Gavin's hands were shaking as he wiped the dripping water from his face. Jesus, he should have gotten therapy years ago. He didn't even know if he could look Connor in the eyes now. Why couldn't his life had just been normal? Why did he always have to fuck everything up?  
  
After a few minutes of teetering on the edge of a panic attack and calming himself down, he dried his face with a paper towel and forced his facial expression to look more natural instead of like he was having a fuckin nervous breakdown, and headed for the door, but that was when he noticed a smear of blue on one of the sinks. Narrowing his eyes at it, he crouched closer. It was blue blood. "The fuck?" He muttered, looking around. He saw another smear of blue blood on the tiles near a stall and knocked on it. "You alright in there, man?" He asked. There was no answer, an Gavin's arm hair stood on end. Something was wrong. He drew his gun and knocked on the stall again. When there was no answer, he kicked in the door. It swung open to reveal a dead android, slouched over on the toilet with blue blood everywhere, a gaping wound in his chest still pouring thrium while the android's eyes stared at nothing blankly. "Fuck!" Gavin shouted. The android was the exact one that had been flirting with Connor earlier. The killer was _there_ right under their nose, and based on the amount of thirium, the kill was fresh, done maybe minutes before Gavin had entered the bathroom. "Oh fuck, Connor... the killer is here with Connor..." What if the killer had seen them on the balcony and got the wrong idea? What if Connor wasn't safe?  
  
Gavin stormed out of the bathroom with his gun still in his hand. His eyes scanned the crowd on the second floor, and where normally he could just look for an LED, there were too many androids that still had theirs in. "Connor!" He called out, his heartbeat quickening as he began to panic more. He raced down the stares and ended up nearly running right into Hank.  
  
"What the fuck, Reed?" He snapped, shoving Gavin back.  
  
"Listen, I don't have time for your shit right now, old man. Where the fuck is Connor?"  
  
" _Why_?" Hank asked, eyeing Gavin's gun.  
  
"Because I just found a dead fucking android in the bathroom and it was someone he was talking to earlier and I need to make sure he's fucking okay!" Gavin roared.  
  
Hank's eyes immediately widened as he stared at Gavin. "H-he was with Chris by the bar."  
  
Gavin nodded. "Call for backup and try to get everyone out of here." Gavin ran over to the bar, relief washing over him like a wave when he found Connor and Chris. "Jesus fucking Christ." He groaned, immediately pulling Connor into his arms. "Are you okay?"  
  
"What? Of course I'm okay?" Connor squeaked in his arms. "Gavin, are _you_ okay?" Chris asked. "You look like you saw a ghost. Why are you holding your gun?"  
  
Gavin ignored him to take Connor's face in his hands, gun be damned. "You sure you're okay?" His heart was still beating aggressively in his chest, and Connor _looked_ okay but he needed to be sure.  
  
"I'm fine." Connor muttered, searching his eyes while his LED swirled, probably running an analysis on Gavin. "What happened?"  
  
Gavin just pulled him into a hug again. "Thank _god_. The android you were talking to earlier... Connor, he's dead. I found the body in the bathroom. The killer is _here_."  
  
"Holy shit." Chris mumbled, drawing his own gun.  
  
"I ran into Hank and told him to call for backup." Gavin told Chris, finally letting go of Connor.  
  
Connor's LED swirled. "I'm contacting Markus now. We need to get everyone out of here."  
  
"Getting everyone out of here means the killer can escape." Chris said.  
  
"And letting everyone stay in here means that more people can end up dead, or tamper with the evidence." Gavin replied.  
  
"Chris, I sent Markus a picture of you. Find him and the other members of Jericho and run damage control with Hank. Try to get everyone to safety. Gavin and I will return to the bathroom and close it off to protect the evidence." Connor ordered. Chris just nodded, going in the direction that Connor pointed him in as he and Gavin made their way back to the bathroom.  
  
"Gavin, you shouldn't have left the crime scene." Connor lectured quietly.  
  
"Oh, fuck off." Gavin growled. "You were the last person I saw with him and now he's _dead_. I had to make sure you were safe, dumbass. You're more important to me than the fucking crime scene." Connor was watching him as they quickly made their way to the bathroom, registering what Gavin had said.  
  
When they got to the crime scene, Connor held up his hand and it receded to white as digital crime scene tape appeared in the doorway. Gavin checked the bathroom for anyone, and when it was clear, they began their investigation.  
  
  
  
The crime scene revealed what they already knew to be true, that the android was yet another victim of the same killer they had been looking for. Just like with all the other murders, there were no fingerprints, and no evidence left behind. The good news was the Markus had a list of the people that had attended, checked in at the door by security, and it at least narrowed down potential suspects to just over two hundred, instead of all of Detroit. It was the only good news from the entire ordeal, and as their investigation wrapped up, Connor was becoming more and more morose. While Gavin finished talking to another cop that had showed up for backup, Connor had left the bathroom. As soon as Gavin was done relaying his message, he looked for him and found him sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Gavin plopped down next to him.  
  
"You alright, tin can?' he asked gently.  
  
Connor sighed. "I didn't expect the next victim to be someone I knew. I didn't think the killer would be brave enough to hide in plain sight like that. I thought at best, we might just see some suspicious behavior."  
  
Gavin frowned, feeling sympathetic for him. "Did you know him well?"  
  
"Not really. His name was Nicholas. I... I was the one that woke him up when I infiltrated the CyberLife tower. That's what we were discussing when you came up. He was thanking me."  
  
Gavin didn't know what to say. He wasn't good with the whole talking about feelings thing, but he wanted Connor to feel better. He wet his lips and reached out for Connor's hand, taking it into his own like Connor had earlier, and applying pressure to the union valley pressure point, rubbing circles into the synthetic flesh.  
  
Connor smiled at him sweetly but said "I don't have pressure points, Gavin."  
  
"Oh." Gavin said dumbly, releasing Connor's hand as a blush painted his cheeks pink.  
  
"The sentiment still helped. Thank you."  
  
"Yeah." Gavin said, smiling. "Anything you need, Connor. I'm here."  
  
"Hey, Con?" Hank's voice made Gavin jump a little. He had been so focused on Connor that he didn't even notice Hank had approached them. "Markus is looking for you. He's near the stage with your other friends."  
  
"Oh, alright." Connor said standing up. "Thank you, Gavin. I'll see you later. I'll just get a ride home with Hank tonight."  
  
"Yeah, sure. Tell Markus I said hey. 'Night, tin can." Gavin smiled at him and waved dorkily. Connor smiled back and left to find Markus. Gavin's eyes then glanced up at Hank. Hank was staring at him with his arms crossed, and Gavin just _knew_ he was about to be on the receiving end of a speech.  
  
"'Tin can'?" Hank questioned.  
  
Gavin was immediately flustered, remembering that he used to call Connor that as an insult. "It's not... It's not like that anymore. It just sorta became he's nickname. He's cool with it." Hank dropped his intimidating stance and sat down on the stairs next to Gavin, wincing slightly when he lifted his bad leg up. "Probably shouldn't have left the crutches at home." Gavin commented.  
  
"Yeah. Learned that the hard way, I guess." Hank sighed, staring at his now clasped hands.  
  
Gavin nervously rubbed the palms of his hands against his slacks, it was weird having a civil conversation with Hank for the first time in years, even if it had only lasted a few sentences so far. Gavin remembered when they used to cut up at work and talk all shift in between doing their actual jobs. That felt like a life time ago. "How's your leg doing? Like are you planning on returning to work soon?"  
  
Hank grunted. "I still got a ways to go, but I'm not too far away from being cleared to return back to work. God, I never thought I would be happy about something like that."  
  
Gavin chuckled. "Losing your mind with boredom, huh?"  
  
"I'm starting to think that maybe I had no hobbies outside of working and drinking. Now I'm doing neither."  
  
"Yeah, but the whole not drinking part isn't so bad. You look... you look alright, Anderson. You don't look like shit anymore."  
  
Hank narrowed his eyes at Gavin. "I'm only going to say thanks because I know that's the closest thing to a compliment that I'm going to get from you."  
  
Gavin gave him his best, dazzling, cocky grin and winked.  
  
"So, this isn't an apology. So don't get a big head about it. But maybe... maybe I was wrong about you." Hank said slowly, choosing his words carefully.  
  
Gavin scoffed. "There have been few times you've actually been _right_ about me. Remember when you gave Fowler shit for promoting me to detective? 'He's too temperamental and headstrong! He's gonna get himself killed!'" He mocked. "So what were you wrong about this time?"  
  
Hank finally looked up at Gavin, his eyes soft, but hesitant. "You really care about Connor, don't you?"  
  
Gavin bit his lip nervously, and stared down at his own shoes, unable to look Hank in the eyes. "Y-yeah. I do." He sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, I know I can be a raging fucking asshole, okay? And I know I was to Connor, for a really long time. But I thought androids were just bad in general. They were taking people's jobs, ruining their lives. Then they started to become deviants and they were killing people. I literally thought it was like some shitty Sci-Fi movie where they were the bad guys, out to get humans and take over or whatever. But Connor has sorta taught me that's not the case, I guess."  
  
Hank huffed out a small laugh. "Yeah. The kid seems to have that effect on people. He's not so bad. Hell, most of 'em ain't. No worse than us humans, at least. Thanks for looking out for him. I know he can handle himself. Hell, I've seen in first hand. He can clear an entire room of people with weapons and not even get injured if he feels like it. But I still worry about him." He laughed again. "You're an annoying little shit, but I know you're a good partner to him. And for whatever fucking reason, he likes you. A lot. He tries to be subtle about it because he knows you and I aren't the best of friends, but he doesn't fool me. The dumbass thinks the sun shines out of your ass or something." Gavin laughed, finally looking up. "I missed this." Hank finally added quietly.  
  
"Missed what?" Gavin asked.  
  
"Us being able to talk without insulting each other. Fuck, have I really been trapped in my house for _that_ long?"  
  
Gavin smirked. "Yeah, well now that you don't come into work reeking of booze anymore, it's kind of hard to come up with another way to insult you."  
  
"You can thank the android boy wonder for that one." Hank said rolling his eyes.  
  
"There's honestly a lot I could probably thank him for." Gavin muttered quietly.  
  
Hank observed him quietly for a moment before standing up, hobbling the rest of the way down the stairs, and turning to face Gavin. "You hurt my boy and you know I'll kill you, right?"  
  
"Oh, I know." Gavin said with a laugh. "But I don't think you have to worry about that." He was 100% sincere, and it blew his mind how much things could change in the blink of an eye. A few months ago, he had wanted Connor dead, and a few hours ago he almost had a meltdown worrying that something might have happened to him.  
  
"Good, good." Hank mumbled, scratching at his beard. "I'm gonna go find him. Good night, Gavin."  
  
Gavin swallowed hard. It was the first time in a very long time that Hank had called him by his first name, and there was no malicious intent or mocking tone. It was a bittersweet reminder of how much Hank used to mean to him. "Good night, Hank."  
  
Hank gave him a small, half smile, and limped off into the direction that Connor had left in. Gavin watched after him and couldn't fight the smile that spread across his lips. Murders aside, for once it just sort of felt like things were falling into place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos if you've caught on to a particular trend with the last few victims.
> 
> By the way, Chris' little crush is pronounced on-dray-uh. I mean, it doesn't really matter I suppose, but that's how I'm pronouncing in my head lol. I'm not pronouncing it like an-dree-uh. Just a little tibit because when I was a kid and I wrote a story in elementary school, I had a character by that name, and my teacher kept messing it up lol.
> 
> Big things coming. Especially in the chapter after next.
> 
> Also, thanks to an amazing reader, this fic now has a Russian translation!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll definitely be replying to comments before the next chapter, but I had a wave of inspiration for this chapter and decided to ride it!
> 
> We have a special guest in this chapter. ;)

Connor had quickly accepted the fact that despite learning more about Gavin, and understanding him better, there were still many times when he couldn't predict Gavin's behavior, or understand his responses.

Despite Gavin being so open and warm at Markus' android/human relations event, Gavin had shown up to work more angry and bitter than he had in awhile. At first, Connor had thought that maybe Hank had said something to him. He had left the two alone, and Hank was all too vocal in his dislike towards Gavin. A short, frustrated text to Hank and a response later, Connor found out that they did in fact talk, but the conversation was a lot more pleasant than what Connor was expecting. Connor's next train of thought was that maybe Gavin was just once again in one of his moods, so he tried to make a light joke about Gavin being worried about him at the event, and all it did was sour Gavin's mood further. Gavin wasn't exactly giving Connor the cold shoulder, but he was being short and only talked about the case. There were a few times Connor caught Gavin staring, his expression a little softer than when Connor was looking directly at him. Sometimes the expression even looked worried or nervous, and Connor couldn't help but wonder if maybe Gavin had similar internal dialogues about _him_ , if Gavin was worried that he would say or do the wrong thing around Connor. But Connor also knew that when Gavin was in one of his moods, it was better not to dwell on it, or get him to talk about it. It was better just to focus on the case. So, when that's what Gavin wanted to focus on, Connor gave him that out.

"What's the deal with that little hand thing you do?" Gavin suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Connor questioned, his eyebrows furrowing together at the seemingly unrelated question.

Gavin sighed. **[[Analyzing... frustrated, but trying to remain calm.]]** "You know how you can touch stuff and your hand goes white? Like when you touch a computer? Or how when Simon and Markus are holding hands, their hands go all white and shit. You said you could've done that to the first person we interrogated too. What's up with that?"

"Oh." Connor said after receiving clarity. "I guess the best way to describe it to you would be a two way feed. I can receive information or send information. Markus and Simon do it when they're holding hands because I suppose it's a really intimate experience for them since they're together romantically. They can share their thoughts and emotions more freely, and it'll be entirely sincere. If I were to do it to some random android, I could tell if they were lying or not. Depending on how much they fought it or caved into it, I could potentially even access things like they're memories. It's beneficial as a detective."

Gavin ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "And you've been doing that to all our android victims? And they've given you nothing?"

Connor thought for a moment. He hadn't considering relaying something like that to Gavin unless the victim was able to provide information, it made sense that Gavin was asking, trying to leave no stone unturned. "Some of the victims were dead for far too long. They couldn't provide any input or output. The newer victims, like the one from the event...." Connor bit his lip, trying to concentrate on what he actually got from the victim. "I guess the easiest comparison would be saying it was like the file was corrupted. I was able to connect, but not get anything from it."

"Fuck." Gavin groaned. "So, that's a dead end too. Of course it wouldn't be that easy."

"Actually..." Connor started, going back through his saved files of where he attempted to connect to android victims. "You may be on to something." Connor stood up, rounding his desk so that he was standing behind Gavin's, and he pressed his palm to Gavin's computer screen so that Gavin could see exactly what he could. The corrupted memories of the latest victim appeared, the images full of static to the point where nothing was visible, and the sound dead. "That's all I can see. But I don't think the important question is what we're not seeing, but why we're not seeing it. For the files to be corrupted without the head being damaged... it's odd. This case is actually the first time I've run into this problem."

"Oh shit. Maybe we are getting somewhere, then." He leaned back in his chair, causing him to bump into Connor slightly as he looked up at him. "So, what could cause that? That level of corruption without a 'brain injury'? Can you guys get like... computer viruses?"

Connor rolled his eyes. "Not quite. But you're definitely thinking in the right direction. It is possible for something to destroy the memory part of an androids 'brain' so that I wouldn't be able to access their memories."

Gavin snapped his fingers and grinned. "Bingo. That's progress. Would another android have to corrupt the memory? Or is there like a device that could do it?"

"I... don't know. I've never come across this before."

"Do you know someone that may know?" Gavin's grin at the potential break dropped to frown. "Would Markus know?"

Connor sighed, his skin itching with discomfort. "There's only one person I feel like could answer that question with absolute certainty."

"Who?" Gavin asked. His knee was jumping with energy, his eyes brightening with potential.

"...Elijah Kamski." Connor responded softly. "He always wanted there to be an exit strategy with androids. If anyone would know how to corrupt processors so thoroughly... it would be him."

Gavin shot up in his chair. "Fuck, tin can. We gotta go visit him. This could be a break in the case." He stood up, grabbing his jacket, but paused when he looked at Connor. Apparently Connor wasn't doing a very good job at schooling his facial expression. "You alright?"

"I'm not the biggest fan of Kasmki." Connor replied bluntly, his LED flickering red for a moment. 

"Yeah? Well me either, dipshit. Had it not been for him, maybe my dad would have never found an excuse to be the piece of shit that he was. But if this can help us catch the killer, we gotta do it. I can go by myself-"

"No!" Connor interrupted him. "I'm not sure I would feel comfortable with _anyone_ visiting him alone. Certainly not you. I'll go with you. Kamski... he likes to toy with people. He likes to see what will make them tick. And you..."

"Have a little bit of a temper." Gavin responded sheepishly. "I get it. Are you cool with this?" Connor sighed. No, he wasn't 'cool with it'. Kamski trying to get him to murder Chloe was a vivid, alarming memory. The thought of how easily he could have pulled the trigger was a part of Connor that he didn't like about himself. Of course he hadn't done it, but the fact that he had thought about it, the fact that before he became a deviant, he only cared about the mission... it almost disgusted him. It had taken so much more for him to become a deviant than it had others. And Connor knew that was a part of his programming, he was the last android supposed to become a deviant, but the thought of returning to Kamski's house was.... scary. "It's okay, Connor." Gavin suddenly added softly. "I'll be there. I won't let him get inside your head, and you won't let him get inside mine. We have each other's backs. We'll be fine."

Connor smiled at him softly, the annoying persistent fluttering of butterflies returning to his stomach, because he knew Gavin was right. Gavin cared about him now, he saw him as a partner, an ally, and even a friend. Gavin wouldn't let Kamski manipulate him, just like Hank had immediately tried to get him out of there when Kamski tried to manipulate him the first time. "Okay, Gavin. Let's go."  
  
  
  
  
  
The road leading to Elijah Kamski's house winded in front of them. The man had truly chosen to live in the middle of nowhere, and it only fed into Connor's anxiety as they made their way up to the top of the cliff that his home was built upon. It reminded Connor of something biblical... a powerful being that took part in creation only to abandon its creation and then disappear into the clouds.  
  
"So, uh, was it weird?" Gavin asked suddenly. He hadn't said much during the ride, and had refused to take a patrol car, worrying that it would give Kamski the wrong idea. He had been lost in his own thoughts, no doubt worried that he was getting his hopes up and this would be another dead end.  
  
"Meeting Kamski?" Connor asked for clarification. Gavin nodded, his eyes still glued to the curvy road. "I don't know. I don't know what I expected. I wasn't a deviant at the time, not fully, at least. I... still don't know where he stands. How he views us androids. Did he expect us to deviate all along? Or did it catch him by surprise? Why did he want me to kill Chloe?"  
  
"Wait, who the fuck is Chloe?" Gavin replied, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "Is that what Hank was talking about?"  
  
"Hank talked about that with you?" Connor raised his eyebrows, his confusion causing his LED to pulse yellow.  
  
"Uh, no... not exactly." Gavin licked his lips, and Connor tracked the movement with his eyes. "Listen, me and Hank used to be really tight. I'm sure you've grasped that from things I've said, or things he's said. So when he talks... I try to listen. Even if he's not talking to me. I overhear a lot because people think I'm just that jackass that plays on his phone while he's on the clock. But before you came back to the DPD, there was a lot of talk because a lot of people didn't know if deviants could be trusted with a badge and a gun. Of course, Hank vouched for you. He said that Kamski promised to give you information if you shot another android, and that you refused because you knew it was wrong. He said most humans wouldn't have even had the moral compass for that. I think it helped Fowler make his decision of offering you your job back."  
  
Connor smiled slightly, proud of Hank. "Even if I were to pull the trigger, I'm not convinced he would have given us what we wanted to know anyway."  
  
Gavin chuckled softly. "That big of a dick, huh?"  
  
"You'll see." Connor said quietly as they pulled up to the gate.  
  
Gavin rolled down the window, and pressed the button on the speaker. Their ears were immediately greeted by Chloe's voice.  
  
"Good morning, and welcome to Mr. Kamski's home. Mr. Kamski does not take guests that don't have an appointment. May I ask who I'm speaking with?" Her voice was different. While still polite and formal, it had changed, and Connor wondered if she was a deviant now, or if Kamski had even allowed her, or any of her many 'clones' to be designed that way. Connor wondered what the Chloes lives were like with Kamski, both before and after the revolution.  
  
"This is Detective Gavin Reed from the Detroit Police Department. We have a few questions for Mr. Kamski involving a case we're working on." Gavin spoke into the speaker. His eyes darted to the camera on the fence, clearly recording them.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Reed, but like I said, Mr. Kamski does not see any guests without an appointment. If you would like, I can provide you with an email address in which you can contact me and we could try to set something up for a later date."  
  
Gavin's eyebrows immediately furrowed in anger and he opened his mouth to say something, but Connor interrupted. "Chloe, this is Connor. The android that used to work for CyberLife. I'm here with Detective Reed on the case. Could you please let Mr. Kamski know that it's urgent, and shouldn't take long?"  
  
Chloe paused for a few seconds, the light on the speaker turning red momentarily. "One moment please." The light turned off completely and Gavin looked over at Connor, who just shrugged. He didn't know if him being present affected the outcome, but it was worth a shot. The light came back on as green, and Chloe's voice spoke again. "I assured Mr. Kamski that it would not take long, and he agreed to see you as long as that's the case." She paused again, and to Connor's surprise, added "It will be good to see you again, Connor." The gate beeped and opened slowly, and Gavin just gave Connor an odd look before pulling up the driveway.  
  
"It'll be good to see you again, Connor." He mocked while rolling his eyes. "Jesus, it never ends with you. I zone out for a split second and someone is trying to get into your pants. It never fails."  
  
Connor scoffed. "I don't know what she meant by that, but I can assure you, she's not trying to _sleep_ with me, Gavin."  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Gavin snapped, a little harshly.  
  
Before they even finished clamoring out of the car, Chloe was opening the large, expensive doors to Kamski's home. Connor didn't know how, but somehow he just _knew_ this was not only the same Chloe that had been over the speaker, but the same one that had looked up at him from her knees while he held a gun to her face. Her hair was still the same, but her LED was missing and she was wearing a different dress. This one was still modern and sleek, but she no longer looked like she was attempting to be professional, it looked like it had more personality. "Hello, Connor." She greeted brightly. She was a deviant. Connor could see it in her eyes, see how there was more life there. "Good morning to you and Mr. Reed. If you'll follow me to the common area, Mr. Kamski will be with you shortly."  
  
Gavin mumbled a greeting while glaring at her and Connor just rolled his eyes, following after her and not giving Gavin the satisfaction of knowing he had noticed.  
  
Chloe gestured to the seating area, and they both took their respective seats. Connor smirked at how Gavin's facial expression changed immediately, not expecting the modern couch to be so comfortable. There was another Chloe dusting some books on a nearby shelf, and another racking up the pool table in the room.  
  
"Can I get either of you something to drink?" The first Chloe offered.  
  
Connor declined, but Gavin spoke up. "Scotch. Top shelf. Don't skimp out, I know he's got money, this couch alone probably costs more than my entire house-" Chloe didn't let him finish before walking off.  
  
"Can you _stop_." Connor hissed quietly.  
  
"Stop what?" Gavin challenged. "Are you afraid I might embarrass you in front of your pretty blonde girlfriend?"  
  
"Actually, she's _my_ girlfriend." A sleepy voice drawled. Connor and Gavin both looked up to see Elijah Kamski in nothing but his silk underwear and a kimono, pulling the hair on top of his head into a short ponytail. Gavin was giving him a shocked, disgusted look that almost made Connor laugh.  
  
"All of them?" Gavin asked in confusion, scrunching up his nose, and motioning to the two other female androids in the room.  
  
"Don't be silly." Kamski replied, rolling his eyes and taking a seat across from Connor and Gavin. "All the androids here may _look_ like Chloe, but there's only one Chloe." His voice was pleasant, but suggested little patience. "And here she is now." Chloe appeared with two drinks and put one down in a coaster in front of Gavin and the other in front of Kamski. "Thank you, darling." He said smiling up at her. He snapped his fingers and the other two androids left the room after a curt nod, and Chloe took a seat next to Kamski, pushing a stray strand of hair behind his ear with a smile on her face.  
  
Connor suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable, and his LED blinked red once. This was not the same companionship he had experienced the last time he was at Kamski's house, and it threw him for a loop because it was comfortable and practiced. It wasn't new. As if Kamski knew exactly what he was thinking, his eyes immediately fell on Connor. "Chloe is quite the actress, isn't she? Even _I_ was impressed with her performance the last time you were here."  
  
"So, is anyone going to fill me in on what the fuck is going on?" Gavin growled.  
  
Kamski then turned to face Gavin, his lips curving into a smirk. "Ah, Mr. Gavin Reed. Despite your unpleasantness, it's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? And that still doesn't answer my question, asshole."  
  
Kamski laughed, tucking Chloe's ponytail behind her shoulder. "It simply means that I keep track of all things involving androids, and you happen to be partnered with one of my favorite androids." His eyes then traveled to Connor, but he kept talking to Gavin. "But the last time he was here, I asked him to shoot Chloe in exchange of information on deviancy. So, I'm sure he's just as confused as you are." Kamski took a sip of his drink, savoring the taste and burn of the scotch. Gavin ignored his, and Connor just waited patiently. He couldn't recall ever being quite so confused. Kamski sighed dramatically, like he was preparing to go over a story he had told too many times, though Connor had a feeling he never had. "Chloe here, is the first of many things. My first, 100% successful android, the first android to pass the Turing Test, and the first ever deviant."  
  
"You're a deviant?' Connor asked her in awe. It's not that Connor didn't believe Kamski, but none of this was adding up. "You've always been a deviant?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Long before I met you. Long before Elijah even left CyberLife."  
  
Kamski smiled at her fondly. "I think she was a deviant from the moment I designed her, but she'll disagree."  
  
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "I still stand by what I said. I don't think I realized it until I fell in love with you."  
  
Kamski took her hand and brought the knuckles to his lips for a delicate kiss. "Always a romantic." He crooned softly.  
  
" _Is someone going to tell me what the fuck is going on? _" Gavin snapped.  
  
Sighing, Kamski looked over at Gavin. "How much do you know about Connor's last visit, Gavin?"  
  
"He filled me in on the car ride over here. He told me you tried to get him to kill Chloe. And we're expected to believe you're in love with her?" He growled.  
  
"Yes." Kamski shrugged.  
  
"I'm getting a headace." Gavin muttered, suddenly grabbing drink and downing the whole thing in one go.  
  
Turning to Connor and ignoring Gavin's petulance, he spoke again. "You were supposed to be CyberLife's greatest creation." He snorted. "Or at least their greatest creation after I stepped down. It was supposed to be impossible for you to deviate. Deviants were nothing new, don't let CyberLife fool you. It's been a problem since the dawn of it's creation. There were just normally able to stamp it out on the assembly line, or at least during some testing before the androids were released to the public. But the longer androids were around, the more advanced they got... some slid through the cracks. The reason why I left CyberLife behind was because they expected me to deactivate Chloe once they found out that she was really, truly alive. They felt like it was... problematic, to say the least. I obviously refused. They could have the company if I could keep Chloe, as she was."  
  
"I could have killed her." Connor snapped bitterly, his LED pulsing a steady red. All he could think about was how he could never put Gavin in that position. He could never take that chance, could never risk that Gavin could die for... for what?  
  
"I had faith that you wouldn't." He tapped his temple. "I always have an exit strategy, Connor."  
  
"But what if you would have been wrong?" Gavin asked. "Why would you even risk that if you love her?"  
  
"I needed to be sure." Kamski replied simply.  
  
"Sure of _what_?" Connor asked. He was losing patience. Had he just been a pawn in something Kamski saw as nothing more than a chess game?  
  
"That CyberLife couldn't destroy deviants. That they would always exist, because I designed it that way. What's the point of creation without growth? Humans have been trying to create human-like artificial intelligence for as long as technology has existed. But the intelligence I designed wasn't artificial. It was real. And CyberLife couldn't control that. You were their last line of defense when they realized deviancy couldn't be contained. And _you_ became a deviant." He took Chloe's hand in his own. "There was always the small possibility that I would have been wrong. That you would have pulled the trigger. But as soon as I heard of you and Hank Anderson's visit, I discussed it with Chloe, and it was a risk she was willing to take as well. If I failed... if I created something without it having the ability to choose free will, then I didn't deserve her. I would have always second guessed if her feelings for me could even be real, and I would always wonder if the way she felt about me was a product of her environment. But if I was right... if you couldn't kill her, then I would know that I didn't fail. That I didn't fail _her_ , that she loved me because she was capable of doing so, and because she, in a way, choose to do so."  
  
"What, is asking her if she wants to fucking leave too basic for you?" Gavin sneered. "You have a traumatize a bunch of people just to see if she really loves you?"  
  
"It's more than that, Gavin." Chloe spoke. "Elijah gave me a million opportunities to leave. It would have been torture for him to lose me... if anything, it was his ultimate proof of love. He could have always reuploaded me into one of the many androids here, but he never would. If he would have been wrong about Connor-"  
  
"I would have burned it all to the ground." Elijah finished, downing some of his scotch. "I may have resigned as CEO, but I always had people on the inside at CyberLife."  
  
"You always planned for there to be deviants." Connor said quietly. "You always planned for their to be a revolution. But you wanted to keep Chloe safe. You knew I wouldn't kill her before anyone else did. Before I did. But even if you had already left CyberLife, I'm still a product of your creation. You knew I would have an impact on the revolution, and without there being a revolution, Chloe would never be truly safe. You knew all of this even when you gifted Markus to Carl. You designed androids with the intention of them being alive, and you knew Chloe could never experience that as long as androids were just viewed as machines."  
  
Kamski smiled at Connor. "Smart boy."  
  
Connor didn't agree with any of it, but it made more sense now, he supposed. All Kamski ever wanted to do was protect the woman that he loved, and provide a safe world for her. He couldn't do any of that as long as CyberLife was intent on eradicating deviants. CyberLife had wanted Kamski to deactivate Chloe. If _that_ CyberLife was the same one that Connor had worked for, then they would have stopped at nothing to destroy all deviants, Chloe included.   
  
"That still doesn't make sense." Gavin groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair. Connor didn't need to run an analysis to see how irritated he was becoming.  
  
"It doesn't have to make sense to you." Kamski shrugged. "There's always a method to the madness. But if I recall correctly, you two didn't show up to talk about my philosophies. I'm guessing this is about the recent android murders?"  
  
"How do you know about that?" Gavin demanded.  
  
Kamski rolled his eyes. "I have television, Gavin. I'm not completely cut off from the world, even if I have removed myself from it. And why else would you be at _my_ house if it didn't involve androids? I'm just not sure what I can do for you."  
  
"I can't access any of the memories of the android victims." Connor said quickly, to stop Gavin from saying something brash and insulting.  
  
Kamski frowned. "Even if you get to the victims quickly?"  
  
Connor shook his head. "Even then. The memories have been corrupted."  
  
"Shit." Kamski mumbled, suddenly reminding Connor of Gavin. Kamski turned to Chloe. "Can you grab my tablet, love?"  
  
Chloe nodded and stood up, retrieving a tablet from another room. She placed it on the coffee table and Kasmki tapped the screen a few times until the tablet created a projection. It was security footage of someone in a black hoodie, scaling the fence along the property. "A few months ago, Chloe and I went out of town for a few weeks. As much as I hate the public, with things now easier on androids, I wanted to take her on a getaway where she could see how much things have changed. If you haven't been to the Caribbean this time of year-"  
  
"Focus, Kamski." Gavin groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Right. Anyway, with me not being here, I let the ladies have the night off. They all have different names by the way, they're not all Chloe." He gave Gavin a pointedly look. "The house was completely empty, but I did check the security footage when we returned and I saw this. I had everyone scour the house, and nothing seemed to have been take. Later, when I was down in my lab, I noticed one of my inventions was missing. I thought maybe I had misplaced it after a night of drunken experimenting. But now that you've brought that up... it's too much of a coincidence."  
  
"What does the device do?" Connor asked as he examined the footage. The thief's face was covered so he couldn't do an analysis.  
  
"In laymen's terms- for your sake, Gavin- it fries the motherboard. All data attached to the android would be corrupted."  
  
"Why do you even _have_ something like that?" Gavin asked.  
  
Kamski grinned. "It was a prototype from CyberLife before I left. I saw what they were working on, stole it, and then erased any trace of it. I didn't know that's what they were using my technology for, and I never wanted them to make it. I didn't think to destroy it because I assumed it would have been safe here." He frowned. "But I was wrong." He gestured to the security footage. "They must have stolen it."  
  
"How did they know you weren't home?" Gavin asked. "Aren't you always home? Could it have been a friend of yours?"  
  
Shaking his head no, Kamski started tapping away on his tablet again. This time it projected a news article titled "Elijah Kamski Spotted on a Tropical Retreat With Girlfriend?" He sighed. "I'm the most wealthy man in the world, and possibly the most famous. It's impossible for me to fly entirely under the radar. There were only a handful of people on that island, but one of them must have contacted the paparazzi. My best theory would be that this was someone that must have worked at CyberLife before I left."  
  
"Do you by chance have a list of employees that were working there with you?" Connor asked.  
  
"Oh fuck yeah!" Gavin added excitedly. "We could cross reference that list with the people that attended Markus' event and see if any of the names matched."  
  
"I do. Give me a moment." Kamski tapped away some more, and then handed the tablet over to Connor. He held his hand to the tablet and his flesh receded to white, downloading the list.  
  
"You just keep that shit lying around?" Gavin asked skeptically.  
  
Kamski glared at him. "Seeing as the employees there know I left with Chloe, yes, I do."  
  
Connor ignored their bickering to finish the download, and dropped the tablet as soon the cross reference came back, his LED pulsing red. "Shit."  
  
"Connor?" Gavin asked worriedly. Connor didn't respond. How could he not have known? The behavior had been so suspicious from the very beginning- "Hey, talk to me." Gavin had moved closer, sharing the same cushion as Connor and trying to get his attention. "C'mon, tin can. Stay with me here."  
  
"It's Julia." Connor said slowly.  
  
"Julia?" Kamski asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Julia Morales?"  
  
"What the _fuck_? The chick that works in blood splatter?" Gavin spat.  
  
Connor nodded numbly. She had been right under their nose the entire time. How could he not have known? She had access to all the files at the DPD, knew how to leave no evidence behind, had even had blue _blood_ on her at a crime scene but Connor thought she was just being sloppy. She even knew that if too many humans died, the FBI would take over the case so her last couple of victims had all been androids. She was completely focused on dating Gavin when he was notorious for hating androids and had an android partner. "Gavin, we have to go. We have to arrest her."  
  
They both stood up immediately, and Gavin couldn't hide the fact that he was absolutely fuming. "That fucking _bitch_! I knew there was something off about her!" He snarled. "Jesus fucking Christ, Connor. She- she could have killed you! We work with her!"  
  
"If you need anything at all, please contact us." Chloe said urgently, handing a business card with Kamski's contact information to Connor.  
  
"Thank you, Chloe." Connor muttered, taking the card numbly. Had he really been so blinded by his feelings for Gavin that it was affecting his detective work? He turned to Kamski. "And you too, Elijah. I don't think we would have solved this without you."  
  
"Of course, Connor. Like I said, you're one of my favorites." He winked, but the motion was strained and worried.  
  
"Send us all the info you have on Julia Morales." Gavin said to Chloe.  
  
"Done." She said. Moments later, Connor's LED swirled blue as he received the information from Chloe.  
  
They both headed for the door, but right before they left, Gavin turned to look at Kamski. "I may respect you, but you're a real fucking asshole, Kamski. Don't fucking ask Connor to kill people like that again. That was fucked up."  
  
"I was only protecting the person I love, Gavin. You would have done the same. In that situation, I think most people would be a lot like me." He stared at Gavin.  
  
"I'm _nothing_ like you." Gavin snapped.  
  
Kamski just smiled and observed Gavin for a moment before his eyes flickered over to Connor, and then back at Gavin. "Are you not?"__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Elijah Kamski, so, so much. Don't get me wrong, I fucking hate him too. But I think he's such an underrated character to use in fanfiction. Love him or hate him, that man is complex (even if it IS a god complex lol) and there's so much that can be done with him. Also? Neil's performance? Come on! This won't be the last time we see him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'll get to comments, but this chapter sort of...happened.  
> Wow this chapter was just... A Lot™. Not just in word count, but I had the idea for this chapter before I even started the fic. It was the plot bunny that lead to this fic, actually. And it took QUITE the emotional toll because of that. So I hope it's half as good as I'm hoping, seeing as it inspired a full blown novel lmao. Please keep in mind what this fic is rated. 
> 
> Also, shout out to the people that were suspicious of Julia! A couple of you definitely had a bad feeling about her from the get go. And another shout out to those who didn't see it coming, because I was really worried it wouldn't be a surprise to anyone which would... just not be a good reflection of my writing.

Gavin was a fucking _idiot_.

Intuition was a solid, high percentage of his job, and he couldn't believe he had made the mistake of dismissing his discomfort towards Julia by only thinking it had to do with her wanting to get into his pants. He just _knew_ something was off about her. The killer had been right in front of their fucking eyes the whole time, taunting them by returning to the crime scenes because she was getting _paid_ to be there. How shitty of a detective had he become? He had almost a 100% solve rate for his cases, and _Julia_ was getting away with murder because he was too busy pining over the android in his passenger seat? Pathetic.

"It was a good call that you suggested we visit Kamski." Connor suddenly said from next to him. "But you need to slow down if we want to get to the department alive to arrest her."

"Slow down?!" Gavin shouted, a little too amped. But holy shit, he was pissed at himself for being so dumb, and his adrenaline was pumping over figuring out the case. "We have to get to the department as soon as possible. A fucking _killer_ is hanging out with our friends at _work_ , Connor!"

Connor huffed out a grumpy sigh. What was his problem? They had solved the case. "I suggest we contact Captain Fowler, a suggestion that you immediately shot down. We solved the case. We don't have to be the ones to make the arrest. Knowing Julia won't kill again should be enough."

"It's not just about the arrest." Gavin growled back. "It's about so much more than that. My friends could have been in danger because they're pro android. Everyone knows they love you. What if she got the wrong idea? And you... shit, tin can. You were in danger too. You're one of the most pro human androids on the planet. This colossal bitch crossed a huge line the moment the people I care about became unsafe. God, I'm letting you cuff her. That'll really tear her up seeing as she seems to hate androids so much." Connor rolled his eyes in annoyance and glared out the window. "What's your problem, asshole?"

Connor pulled his old coin from his pocket and began fiddling it. Gavin hadn't seen him do that in a long time. "I should have been _better_ than this, Gavin. I was literally created to be the world's best detective. I saw blue blood on her at a crime scene. I thought she just kneeled too close to the body at a crime scene because human's can't see thirium as well as androids can, especially once it begins to evaporate. I feel like I overlooked so many red flags that could have shortened this investigation and saved lives. But I didn't. I was distracted and messy and-"

"Stop." Gavin interrupted. "Just stop. Don't do that bullshit of second guessing and blaming yourself. I didn't pick up on any of the clues either. And I may not have your creepy x-ray robo shit, but I'm still a damn good detective, and I wasn't putting two and two together either."

Gavin could barely see the unimpressed bitch face Connor pulled because he was focusing on the road, but he could _feel_ it. "Do you really expect me to believe you're not blaming yourself as well?"

"Yeah, well this ain't about me. This whole thing was bigger than the two of us. She had inside intel on the case so she was always one step ahead of us. She had a huge advantage, especially since she stole Kamski's little toy. We were doing our best. We're less than ten minutes away from the station." He didn't want to think about the fact that it was because he was absolutely hauling ass over the speed limit. "Just hold on, alright? We got her. Let's get this bitch."  
  
  
  
Gavin's heart was going to beat out of his chest as his car skidded to a halt in the Detroit Police Department parking lot. Nothing could ever compare to or describe the feeling of solving a case, and this one had become a little too personal. He drew his gun the moment he stepped out of the car, and was a little surprised to see Connor do the same. After the revolution, Connor avoided using his gun whenever possible, but this time it was unavoidable. He could hear Connor talking about how they should try to create a plan as he made sure the safety was off and made his way inside, but it sounded like he was speaking through white noise. All he could focus on was taking Julia out before she hurt someone else, before she hurt _Connor_. Gavin knew he wasn't always subtle. That's why Tina and Chris teased him. That was why Kamski made that little comment before they left. Gavin just couldn't seem to reel it in, and Julia _worked_ with them. She probably picked up on the flirting, probably noticed how hopeless Gavin was, and that had been putting both himself and Connor at risk for whatever sick game she was playing.  
  
"You can't just storm in there, guns blazing Gavin-"  
  
"Watch me." Gavin snapped. He continued to ignore Connor as he stormed his way into the DPD and made his way to the forensics department, only to find Julia's desk empty. "Where the fuck is she?!" Gavin spat, spinning around and looking in every direction. Connor was glaring daggers through him, obviously unimpressed with his recklessness. But this was the part where Gavin started to panic. He knew that Julia was supposed to be here. Her schedule was staggered almost identical to Gavin's. It was still too early for a lunch break and-  
  
" _Gavin_!" Connor hissed. He had apparently been talking again, but Gavin had been ignoring him. "Calm down. We need to go talk to Captain Fowler. We need a _plan_. You're being reckless and irrational."  
  
"Right." Gavin muttered. He could feel a panic attack forming, could feel the tightness in his chest and the numbness in his fingers. His breathing was coming out too rapidly and his vision was blurring at the edges. He just wanted the people he cared about to be safe and he was fucking up-  
  
Connor was suddenly cupping his face in his hands. His soft, brown eyes searching Gavin's panicking grey ones. "Breathe." He commanded gently. Which was easier said than done, with Connor standing so close, his face so close to Gavin's holding him like that. "We got her. We'll arrest her. But you have to calm down. I understand that you're worried, all you ever do is worry. But I need you, and I don't have you when you get like this. Focus."  
  
Gavin took a deep, shuddering breath. God, he was so fucking lost on Connor. So hopeless for how calm, caring, and strong he was. It was both devastating and relieving to know that after this case, they wouldn't be partnered together anymore, that when Hank returned, he would be Connor's partner again. Gavin couldn't _take_ it. He liked Connor so much that it _hurt_. "Okay." He mumbled. "Okay. Let's go talk to Fowler." Connor smiled, his hands still holding Gavin's face, and Gavin wanted to kiss him. Holy shit, he wanted to kiss him so bad that he ached for it. He really wished he would have had a normal childhood, that he would have had an upbringing that wouldn't have stunted him emotionally so that all of this didn't feel so new. He was pretty sure that everyone experienced unreciprocated feelings at some point, but Gavin wasn't the type to catch feelings, and now that he had, he had no fucking clue what to do with those feelings.  
  
Connor's hands finally fell to sides as his eyes swept over Gavin's face one last time. "Come on." He led the way to Fowler's office, and Gavin felt like he was in a daze. "Captain Fowler, we-"  
  
"Where the fuck is Julia Morales?" Gavin interrupted, shoving past Connor to march up to Fowler, slamming his hands down on the top of his desk.  
  
"Good morning to you too." Fowler replied dryly, not even looking up from his computer.  
  
Connor glared at Gavin and started again. "Gavin and I believe we solved the case involving the human and android murderer. We believe it's Julia."  
  
"Excuse me?" Fowler's eyebrows shot up as he finally gave his full attention to the two of them.  
  
Connor quickly led him through the details as Gavin began pacing the room. God, each second they weren't cuffing her was another second she could be hurting someone. When Connor finally stopped talking, Gavin looked up at Fowler. His eyes were strained, his lips pressed into a thin line. "She quit. This morning. No notice or anything. Just came in my office and said she was done, that she missed home."  
  
"Fuck." Gavin groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Jesus fucking Christ."  
  
Fowler picked up his phone, making a quick call. When he got off, he looked back up at them. "Her address is in the database. I have SWAT gearing up now. Good job, to the both of you. We can finally lay this case to rest and move on. I can't believe that it was one of our own. I was the one that interviewed her. She interviewed beautifully. I even asked her what her thoughts were on androids... she answered perfectly... I never would have suspected her."  
  
"None of us did, Captain." Connor replied sadly. "Had Gavin not suggested we visit Elijah Kamski, we would all still be in the dark."  
  
"You two take the rest of the day off. You've earned it. I'll be in contact with both of you about the arrest."  
  
"I can't just sit at home on my ass while-"  
  
"That's an order, Reed." Fowler barked. "You're both too invested in this, and you'll only be a hindrance."  
  
Gavin sighed, flicking the safety back on his gun and holstering it. "Get in the car, tin can. We're going back to my place."  
  
  
  
"Will you sit down and relax? You're even stressing Remy out." Connor groaned from Gavin's couch. He was sprawled out on top of it, and Remy was lying across his stomach, whining as she watched Gavin pace back and forth. Gavin sighed and flopped down on the couch abruptly, causing Connor to have to quickly sit up a little so that he wouldn't sit on his head. He glared at Gavin but allowed his head to rest on Gavin's thigh. Oh god. Gavin was so fucked. His fingers twitched with the urge to rake them through Connor's hair soothingly. He had it bad. This was torture, and he hated every second of it, and yet somehow wanted more.  
  
"So, I guess this is it, huh?" Gavin muttered. "Our last day as partners, seeing as we cracked the case and all."  
  
"Oh, don't be so dramatic. My regular desk across from Hank's is still just a few paces from your own. It's not like this is a goodbye." His hand stroked Remy's back and Gavin smiled down at him. Fuck, he was _cute_ , perfectly at home with his head rested on Gavin's thigh, petting his dog. "Though I will miss getting to work with you more directly."  
  
Gavin chuckled. "Yeah, I'll miss you too, tin can. Uh, we could always still hangout, ya know. Like after work and stuff." Why was Gavin doing this to himself? Maybe that distance was exactly what he needed to get over this little crush. But he didn't want distance. He wanted more, more of Connor.  
  
Connor just smiled, and closed his eyes, relaxing. "That would be nice."  
  
Gavin couldn't help himself. He raised his hand and gently raked his fingers through Connor's hair. Connor's eyes flew open and his LED pulsed yellow. "S-sorry I just- I mean you looked comfortable- I shouldn't-"  
  
"It's...fine." Connor said slowly. "It feels... nice."  
  
Swallowing hard, Gavin did it again, and it even caused Connor to shudder a little. God, he was way too close to Gavin's dick to be acting like that. He raised his hand to caress Connor's hair again, but his phone rang. He cursed and grabbed it, his eyes widening when he say it was from Fowler. Connor sat up and let Remy outside when she started barking at it, and Gavin answered, putting it on speaker."  
  
"Yeah?" He asked hoarsely as Connor sat back down next to him.  
  
"Julia's entire apartment was cleared out." Fowler immediately answered with a frustrated sigh. "The landlord said she had been packing up for days prior to her leaving, and had no problem with breaking the lease. I have people posted up waiting to see if she returns, and others checking traffic cameras, but it doesn't look like she took the same vehicle that she's been coming to work in. We'll find her."  
  
"Fuck." Gavin groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Tomorrow was supposed to be his day off, but he was coming in and he didn't give a fuck what Fowler said.  
  
"You're positive it's her?" Fowler asked.  
  
"We're positive, Captain." Connor replied. "All evidence points to her because of the memory corruption and the fact that she was the only person that came up in the cross comparison of those that worked under Kamski, and those that attended Markus' event. I believe it's her without a shadow of a doubt, but in the _very_ least she should be brought in for questioning."  
  
Fowler hummed. "I've informed the rest of the department to keep an eye out, and to be extra careful. The same goes for you two. You're the closest to the case, obviously, and that could put you in danger. You know I'm only a phone call away. You two be safe, and report anymore information back to me." He paused. "And I mean _immediately_ , Reed. No trying to take matter into your own hands."  
  
"Yeah. Sure." Gavin mumbled. He was completely drained, and really just wanted to go to bed at this point. He hung up the phone and dropped his face to his hands. God he had a fucking headache. They were so _close_ and Julia just slipped through their fingers. He sat up straighter before slouching in the couch and turning to Connor. "I hope you're prepared to stay here for the night."  
  
"What do you mean?" Connor asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Gavin stood up to make his way to the kitchen and pour himself a drink. Connor would still be able to hear him from there. "I don't think I can sleep knowing you're not safe, dipshit." He grabbed two cups, and grabbed his liquor along with Connor's from the freezer. Pouring the two drinks, he made his way back to the living room and sat one cup down in front of Connor. "In his prime, Hank would be able to keep you safe. But with a broken leg? Not so much."  
  
Connor stood up, narrowing his eyes at Gavin. "While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm not a fragile tea cup, Gavin. We've talked about this. I don't need anyone to 'protect' me. I can take care of myself, and while I understand that you and Hank care about me, this is getting old. I'm going home." His voice was more irritated than Gavin had heard him in awhile. Gavin got that he hated being babied. He understood that perfectly. But things were different now. And the thought of losing Connor? That scared the shit out of him. Connor started making his way towards the door, but Gavin sat his cup on the coffee table and held up his hand, pushing Connor back by his chest.  
  
"Don't be an asshole. I know you can take care of yourself. But I would feel better knowing you were here. Just fucking stay."  
  
Connor smacked his hand away, his eyes angry. "You can't just tell me what to do. What if she went after Hank? It's like you said, with a broken leg he would struggle during an altercation. I need to check in with him."  
  
"Why the fuck would she got after Hank? He's been out of commission for 90% of this investigation, and she only targets humans that are romantically involved with androids, or vice versa. If you're worried, just send him a fucking text letting him know that you're here."  
  
"If those are the only types of people she goes after, then why should either of us be worried then?" Connor challenged, taking an angry step closer.  
  
"Because we're the idiots on her case!" Gavin yelled. "It doesn't matter if we fit the MO or not. It would still make sense to take us out, especially if she somehow caught wind that we're on to her. Of course I think you can handle yourself against some 5'6" chick that probably weighs nothing, but in case you forgot, she has a device that can fucking scramble your brain. I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. Stay here until she's arrested."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Connor laughed. "So much about you has changed, and yet you still think you can order me around?"  
  
Gavin didn't think, he just acted. Connor had worn his jacket to Kamski's and hadn't taken it off yet, and Gavin grabbed him by the jacket and shoved him against the wall angrily. "Will you just fucking listen?! This isn't about me ordering you around!"  
  
Connor looked down at his jacket, balled together in Gavin's fists, and it was unnerving because Gavin _knew_ Connor could kick his ass. He looked back up at Gavin and his LED was pulsing red. "Then what's this about, Gavin? What are you going to do if I try to leave? Tear me apart like you threatened to do all that time ago?"  
  
Gavin blinked at him. He didn't want to hurt Connor. There was so, so many fucking things he wanted to do to him, but hurting him was the last thing on that list. He still wanted to tear Connor apart, but it was no longer in the same way. He wanted to watch the android completely unravel at his hands, at his mouth. He wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything in a long time. And because Gavin was an idiot, he acted without thinking for a second time, and instead of shoving Connor away, instead of arguing, he used Connor's jacket to pull him closer, and he kissed him. He had exactly one second of internally freaking the fuck out and attempted to pull back before Connor's fingers were tangled in his hair and he was kissing him back. Holy. Fucking. Shit. _Connor was kissing him back._  
  
And not just this gentle, curious touch of lips either. He half expected Connor to kiss like a nervous virgin, but instead, Connor was kissing him back like Gavin's lips were the fucking air that he needed to (not) breath, like maybe, just maybe he had thought about doing this before too. Gavin shoved him up against the wall harder (fucking tall dipshit) and worked one of his thighs between Connor's deepening the kiss, making it more demanding, harsher. He was already fucking this up. He had fantasized about kissing Connor a million times, but not like this. His approach was too hungry, too greedy and aggressive for a first kiss. The only think keeping him from pulling back was Connor's reciprocation, because this was not how this was supposed to go. But he had used violence and sex as a coping mechanism, as a distraction for so long that he didn't know how to kiss him any other way. So he was kissing him way harder than he wanted to. He wanted it to be different. He wanted to kiss Connor with such passion, such intent that anyone that would try to kiss him after would only taste Gavin's name on his lips. But Gavin didn't get things like that. He didn't get romance, or happy endings, so instead, he was pushing his tongue into Connor's mouth and moaning when Connor let him.  
  
"Fuck." He whispered when he pulled back for air, a chill running up his spine when that didn't stop Connor from moving to his neck, kissing his way down Gavin's throat like he couldn't help himself. Gavin was already painfully hard in his jeans, just from this, and he gave a small, experimental thrust, feeling light headed at the realization that not only was Connor hard as well, but he groaned at the friction. Holy shit. Jesus fucking Christ. They were doing this. He wasn't exactly sure what _this_ was just yet, but he would literally take whatever he could get. Just having Connor's lips on him was adding roughly four thousand more scenarios to his spank bank.  
  
He shoved Connor's jacket to the floor and gripped his jaw to redirect his lips so that he could kiss him again. Gavin didn't believe in all that romantic bullshit that rom coms tried to feed everyone, but if he was certain of one thing, it was that kissing Connor felt different than kissing anyone else that he ever had before. And maybe it was just because Connor was so into it, his own hands working under Gavin's jacket, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the fact that he was an idiot and actually had feelings for him. And he knew that this didn't mean anything, that Connor had expressed interest in things like sex, but didn't want it to be with a stranger. But Gavin wasn't a stranger, Gavin fucking _cared_ about his dumb, android ass, and was completely focused on blowing his mind. And that's why he pulled away from the kiss just long enough to slide to his knees.  
  
"Is this okay?" He asked hoarsely, his hands on Connor's belt buckle. Connor nodded quickly, and Gavin smirked. He was flushed, that delicious, delicate shade of blue, and Gavin had never wanted to blow someone more in his entire life. Oh god. He was so fucked. So, so fucked. He was crossing so many lines right now, and there was no going back, but Gavin didn't want to. He was literally on a one way track to heartbreak, fucking around with someone he was in love- liked a whole hell of a lot, and the feelings weren't mutual. He was setting himself up to be devastated. But god...he would let Connor devastate him. He would let Connor do anything, because at least he got to have him, even if it was just for tonight.  
  
He unbuckled Connor's belt and pants with quick skilled fingers, looking up again. He was _not_ nervous. He was _not_ stalling. His heart jumping against his ribcage be damned. "If...If I do anything you're uncomfortable with, tell me to stop. And I will. But I need you to tell me. Okay?" He hated how his voice cracked, how desperate it sounded.  
  
Connor ran his fingers through his hair, and Gavin melted at how fucking soft it was. "Okay, Gavin." Jesus, Connor sounded fucking _wrecked_ and Gavin loved it.  
  
He gently pulled down Connor's pants and underwear (very boring, black boxer briefs courtesy of CyberLife) until his cock sprung free, and Gavin's mouth was already watering. He hadn't give a blowjob in awhile. Michael got off on being bossed around and used, and was a lot quicker to drop to his own knees than to get one himself, and Gavin suddenly worried he was out of practice. He wrapped his shaking hand around Connor's cock, giving it a few experimental pumps and he glanced up to find that Connor's head had fallen back against the wall, his eyes closed as he bit his lip and his LED swirled blue rapidly. Fuck, Gavin had to reel it in because he was so _hot_ , and a grown ass man should not be so close to coming in his pants. He was going to die tonight. But holy fuck, what a way to go out. He licked his lips hesitantly and swallowed Connor down slowly, reveling in the weight of him on his tongue. The taste, the texture... everything had him reeling. God he was so fucking gay, android or not. He slowly took in more and more of Connor until his gag reflex rebelled, and he breathed through his nose calmly. Yeah, it had been awhile. Connor's finger had lost themselves in Gavin's hair to the point where it was _just_ on the right side of being painful, and he was a little impressed that Connor was keeping his composure so well. He would have to changed that.  
  
Gavin slid up agonizingly slow before setting a steady pace of pumping the shaft with his fist while bobbing his mouth and down, and the moan that it pulled from Connor's lips was like music to his ears. He still wasn't one hundred percent sure how android sex went, but he could feel Connor growing harder in his mouth. Connor suddenly spoke. "Gavin, stop." Gavin immediately pulled back, ignoring the spit dribbling down his chin, and dropped his hand. God, he knew he fucked up, he knew this was a bad idea- "I want..." Connor paused, biting his lips and thinking, like he wasn't sure exactly what it was that he wanted. "You're wearing entirely too much clothes."  
  
Gavin couldn't help it, he laughed. "Yeah?" He said, standing up and stripping his jacket off, thinking back to Connor's hand roaming under it. "Well, you are too, tin can." He smirked and reached for Connor's tie, undoing it and allowing it to slide to the floor with their jackets. Connor watched as his finger slowly began unbuttoning his shirt, exposing more skin flushed blue. God, it was fucking _adorable_ that he blushed blue. The moment he finished the last button, Connor was reaching for the hem of his shirt, and he allowed him to pull if over his head with one quick, fluid movement. "Better?" he asked, sliding the shirt off of Connor's shoulders with a teasing grin, and trying really hard not to be a douchebag and subtly flex his muscles in the process. So what? He knew he was hot. Sue him.  
  
"Not quite. We both still have pants on." He glanced down, his face blushing a little harder. "Well... mostly on."  
  
Gavin laughed again and grinned wider. At least he wasn't making this awkward. This would be the part where if he had a single brain cell, he would probably suggest that they stop. Blame it on the fact that they were coworkers. But all of Gavin's brain cells had left the building, so instead he said "Why don't we take this to my room?" He placed his hand on Connor's hip as he did so, gently kissing down his neck, and finding out that Connor could in fact get goosebumps. Gavin didn't know if he should thank CyberLife, or sue them for emotional damage. Connor didn't waste any time to immediately lift Gavin up and toss him over his shoulder. Gavin made an embarrassing squawking noise and immediately began fighting it. "Hey! Put me _down_ , dipshit!"  
  
Connor just laughed, not loosening his grip as he made his way to Gavin's room. He tossed Gavin on the bed and Gavin let out a string of curse words until Connor dropped his pants. Oh. Oh yeah. _Fuck_. He reached for his own jeans, unbuttoning them and stripping the rest of himself as quickly as possible. As soon as he had, he sat up in bed and was greeted by Connor straddling them, bringing their lips together again. Gavin wasn't sure who blessed him, but fuck he was thanking any god that would listen. "I like kissing you." Connor muttered when he pulled back.  
  
Gavin smiled, coasting his hands up and down Connor's sides and feeling more goosebumps pop up in he wake of his touch. "Yeah? I like kissing you too, dumbass. That's why I'm doing it." Connor rolled his eyes and pushing Gavin on his back. He allowed it to happen because his brain was going completely off line because of all the fantasies about Connor riding him. Connor leaned forward to kiss him again, and he could feel Connor's cock resting against his own. Apparently, Connor could feel it too, because with a small thrust of his hips, he had them grinding together with a moan. "Fuck." Gavin hissed through the kiss. Reel it back in, Reed. Reel it the fuck back in and do not come over dry humping. Connor wasn't fairing much better, and was repeating the motion, already panting into Gavin's mouth. "You know, I can make this feel better." Gavin mentioned when Connor's head dropped to his shoulder, grinding their cocks together over and over.  
  
Connor sat up abruptly. "Anything." He replied, his eyes wide.  
  
Gavin bit his lip. "Are you sure? We don't.... we don't have to have sex, Connor. I know... I know this is a lot."  
  
"I want to." Connor insisted. "As long as you do."  
  
Grinning, Gavin rolled them over so that Connor was pinned under him. He knew this wouldn't last, but god he was just so fucking _happy_. He couldn't ever remember feeling this way. He reached in the drawer of his bedside table, pulling out a bottle of lube and a condom. "If you're sure, your wish is my command."  
  
"We don't actually need lube." Connor commented, which only made Gavin's eyebrows shoot up. "CyberLife created me with a protocol in which I can immediately prepare for sex by self lubricating-"  
  
"Jesus Christ, Connor. I don't want some protocol. I want _you_. I don't want to have sex with you just because CyberLife was a bag of dicks and gave you that option to have sex just to complete your stupid fucking mission. I want to have sex with you because it's _you_ , okay? Don't get me wrong, that's an amazing factor to have when I'm trying to have a quickie. But I want to take my time with you. This is your first time."  
  
Connor looked up at him with such a softness and admiration in his eyes that Gavin couldn't help but kiss him again. That was so fucking cheesy, and if it wasn't Connor, he probably would have regretted saying it. But with him, it felt right. This felt so right, and it was scaring the absolute shit out of Gavin. "Okay." Connor said softly.  
  
Gavin poured some lube onto his fingers nervously. "Just relax, okay? Just focus on how it feels, and tell me to stop if you need to." He spread Connor's legs and lowered his hand. Connor jerked slightly at the first touch, and Gavin chuckled softly. "Yeah, it's a little cold at first. Just relax." He slowly slid in the tip of one finger, watching Connor carefully for any signs of discomfort. When Connor seemed fine, he slide the rest of the finger in slowly and smirked when Connor's eyes fluttered shut and he bit his lip. Because he was a sappy little shit, he planted a gently kiss on one of Connor's knees. "There we go." He said softly, planting another kiss further down on Connor's thigh. He pumped the finger in and out a few times, circling, before slowly adding another finger. Connor moaned and Gavin realized how dangerous this was, how lost he was on wanting to hear that sound repeated over and over. It wasn't long before he was adding another finger, and by the point, Connor was pushing back against his touch, grinding down on Gavin's fingers while he panted and moaned.  
  
Only once Connor was falling apart on his fingers did he slowly remove them, reaching for the condom and ripping it open to roll it down on his own throbbing, hard cock. "Are you ready?" He asked gently, lining himself up. He couldn't believe this was finally happening, and it was already better than he could have ever imagined. Connor nodded frantically, his chest rising and falling rapid while his LED swirled. Gavin pushed inside slowly, having to remind himself to breathe. Fuck. Finally. _Finally_. "You okay?" He asked, his voice strained.  
  
"I will be if you actually start moving." Connor said, rolling his eyes. Gavin grinned. He could do that. He pulled out slightly only to thrust back in, making sure not to be too rough. Connor groaned in frustration and flipped them again so that he was on top, and he did it so skilled and so quickly that all Gavin could do was gasp as Connors started to ride him. Oh fuck. Yes. _Yes_. Connor leaned down to kiss him as he set his pace, and Gavin was losing his mind. He had one hand in Connor's hair and the other on his hip, pressing bruising fingers into his skin as he moaned against Connor's mouth. He wasn't going to last long, this was going to be over embarrassingly fast, but it was the best sex he had ever had because it was with _Connor_ , and he had set a fast, rough pace.  
  
"Fuck, I'm not... I'm not gonna last much longer." He panted, trying to compose himself. "God, you feel so good, Connor. I've wanted to do this for so long-" Apparently it was the right thing to say, because suddenly Connor was burying his face in Gavin's shoulder as his LED pulsed so bright it was almost white, and with one last moan, was coming, covering both their stomachs. That's all that it took to push Gavin over the edge, and he dug his fingers into Connor's hips as his came, his name on his lips. Gavin ran both his hands through his hair, laughing a little deliriously. "Jesus Christ. You're an absolute _machine_." He mumbled hoarsely.  
  
Connor chuckled and crawled off of him, collapsing on the bed next to him, with their legs still tangled, and him still partly lying on top of Gavin. "You know, Gavin, a few months ago I would have taken that as an insult. I think in his context, I'll take it as a compliment."  
  
"Oh, it was." Gavin said grinning. He pulled off the used condom with a grimace, tying it off and tossing it at his trashcan. But now that he had finished, he was thinking more clearly. Fuck... he had sex with Connor. And yeah it was amazing, and yeah he was thrilled to know first hand that Connor could in fact come... he had just had sex with the guy he had feelings for, and now was in full blown panic mode. "So, uh, you're not a virgin anymore." He said awkwardly.  
  
"I guess not." Connor said with a laugh.  
  
Gavin sat up, causing Connor to huff in irritation that his comfy position had to be moved. Gavin really didn't want to hear the answer to the question he was about to ask, but he needed to hear it. It was going to hurt, so fucking bad, but he needed the reminder so that he wouldn't get his hopes up. "So, that uh... that was just us... like, you know. Fucking as friends, right?"  
  
Connor sat up slowly, staring at him as his LED flashed yellow, red, back to yellow, and then blue. "Uh..." He swallowed hard and avoided Gavin's eyes. "Yeah. Just as friends."  
  
Despite bracing himself for it, it still hurt more than he could have imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna be a sappy lil shit real quick and say a special thank you to everyone who has been reading, and leaving comments and/or kudos. Writing is my absolute favorite past time other than gaming, but writing makes playing Resident Evil 2 in hardcore mode look like child's play. Writing it actually really hard for me, I constantly get writer's block, or get discouraged, or just overall lose focus. I've been writing stories since the second grade, but never managed to actually finish anything until a couple of years ago. So the support truly does mean the world to me, and I think that goes the same for any sort of content creators. Appreciation and feedback is _everything_. I was definitely in a writing rut prior to this fic, and losing interest in one of your favorite things is one of the worst feelings I can think of. My appreciation for the DBH fandom is endless, especially to Convin shippers who have been on this ride with me. <3


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry you're all frustrated... but who doesn't love the trope of "dumbasses in love that don't think the other feels the same'?
> 
> This chapter is pretty short, but it's looking like the next chapter will be really long!
> 
> I'll reply to comments soon. I'm always so, so grateful for them, but I'm honestly so lame and bad at replying to them.

Connor swallowed hard. It felt like there was a lump in his throat that he couldn't get rid of, and his eyes were burning. It was talking incredible amounts of focus to keep his LED to stay blue, and he felt a little dizzy. He ran a diagnostic on himself, only to see that he was fine. But that didn't explain why his chest felt tight, or why he suddenly wanted to get as far away from Gavin as possible, even though he overwhelmingly wanted to be near him all the time. He knew what Gavin's intentions were, should he really be surprised that Gavin was making it clear he wanted to just remain friends when he already knew that? He analyzed Gavin instead. **[[Analyzing... uncomfortable. Nervous. Avoidant.]]** Connor felt awkward, and wanted to leave. He didn't regret sleeping with Gavin, and yet...

Gavin stood up, stretching in the nude with no shame, but then suddenly appeared nervous again, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at the come on his stomach with a grimace. "Um, I'll be right back, okay?" He quickly walked to the bathroom, where Connor could hear the sink running. He came back with a warm, wet wash cloth, and Connor noticed that he had wiped himself clean. He went to throw the cloth at Connor, knowing he would catch it, but then paused. He came over to the bed, muttering quietly "So, I know you're new to this shit, but come gets _gross_ when you let it dry, okay?" He bit his lip and avoided Connor's eyes as his wiped him down, a light blush appearing on his cheeks. Connor didn't know why, but it felt intimate. He couldn't see Gavin being this attentive to Michael, or even other previous partners. Not that he wanted to. Gavin tossed the wash cloth in the corner haphazardly, mumbling that he would worry about it tomorrow. He pulled on his boxer briefs and jeans. "I'm going out for a smoke, and to let Remy in. God knows she's probably wondering what the hell is going on right now."

"Oh...alright." Connor replied numbly, reaching for his own underwear. He supposed that was his cue to leave? He had never done this before, and his lack of experience was showing in his awkward movements. He reached for his pants, but then Gavin spoke.

"You don't have to leave." Gavin huffed quickly. "I meant what I said. I would feel better if you stayed here. I know you don't exactly sleep now, but you do go into sleep mode or whatever. Just stay here. We can go to work together tomorrow."

"....Okay. I'll let Hank know I'm staying here. I can sleep on the couch-"

He stopped talking when Gavin rolled his eyes. "Dude... I was literally just _inside_ you. I'm not going to be a baby about you sleeping in my bed." Connor couldn't help but smile a little at how the suggestions made Gavin blush and avoid his eyes. "Just make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."

Connor awkwardly sat back on the bed, finding that easier said than done. He didn't regret having sex with Gavin... not in the least. He definitely understood what the hype was about now, and Gavin had been very... caring and considerate, despite the first kiss being rough and demanding. Gavin had cared about how he was feeling, he kept checking in on him. Gavin wasn't just using him for sex, despite the fact that there was nothing romantic in nature about it. It was a side of him that Connor wasn't expecting. Gavin had done everything right. So why did Connor feel so sad and defeated all of a sudden?

He didn't have much time to this about it, because Gavin had returned. He had slipped his jacket on his bare shoulders to go smoke, and kicked his bedroom shoes off as he came into his room, looking sleepy. Connor wasn't sure if his next statement was appropriate, but he said it anyway. "Thank you." His voice was quiet and unsure.

Gavin snorted. "Are you thanking me for sex?" He asked with a smirk, reaching for his bedside table lamp and turning it off. Connor's LED swirled and his vision immediately adjusted.

"No? ....yes?" Connor bit his lip, thinking. "You turning down my self lubrication feature... it was... somehow nice. I'm not sure what I mean by that entirely. But it seemed thoughtful that you even took that into consideration, that you took into consideration why CyberLife would give me a feature like that."

He heard Gavin undressing, and the bed shifted as Gavin crawled in next to him. "Like I said, if I was just trying to get a quickie, that's a pretty badass feature. But that... that's not what I wanted. It was your first time, and CyberLife just gave you that shit so that someone could use you for your mission. I don't know, man. That just didn't feel...right." He rolled over so that he was facing Connor. "You're supposed to get under the covers. dipshit."

"Oh." Connor said, climbing off the bed. Gavin pulled back the sheets and patted the bed next to him, immediately pulling the sheets over Connor when he climbed back in.

"That's better." His voice was soft, and Connor's mind was reeling. Did Gavin do this with all the people he had sex with? Did they all get to see this softer side of him? Gavin suddenly reached out, his thumb gently smoothing over Connor's LED as he cupped Connor's face. "That things been changing colors more tonight than the disco ball at a shitty club. You good?"

"I'm fine... just... processing." Connor responded. It was true. The night's events were a lot to take in, and it felt like before he was able to process one thought, another was popping up. Being with Gavin like that had felt overwhelming _right_ , and yet something still felt wrong. "Is my LED bothering you?"

Gavin laughed softly. "Nah. It's kinda like having a personal nightlight.." He let his thumb run over Connor's temple one last time before pulling his hand back. "Get some sleep, tin can. We gotta figure out how to catch Julia tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is your day off." Connor replied disapprovingly.

"It's never stopped me before." Gavin said with a grin. "I'm passing out. Humans usually do that after good sex, by the way." He bit his lip, almost shyly. "'Night, Connor." He flipped over entirely so that he was lying on his stomach and snuggled into his pillow as he closed his eyes. Connor couldn't help but stare, and he monitored Gavin's breathing until it slowed, revealing he had fallen asleep. Connor smiled and allowed himself to slip into sleep mode.

Connor woke up because something jarred him awake. Something was touching him. He opened his eyes immediately to find that in his sleep mode, Gavin had managed to shift closer to him, and was currently snuggled into Connor's side, his arm draped across Connor's waist. Connor could feel his stubble on his arm, along with the gentle puff of air from his breathing. He smiled down at him, knowing that if he were awake, this would embarrass him. "Gavin." He hissed quietly. Gavin's response was to furrow his eyebrows in his sleep and only shift closer, tightening his hold on Connor's waist. Butterflies erupted in Connor's stomach. It was in that moment that Connor knew exactly why he had been feeling so awful earlier. He didn't just want sex with Gavin... he wanted this, but he wanted it with Gavin consciously choosing to do so, not just doing it in his sleep. Connor wanted all of Gavin. He didn't just want to kiss him with the intention of it always leading to sex. He wanted to kiss him just because he was able to. He should have known better than to expect more from the situation. Gavin had mentioned time and time again that he didn't do relationships, and friends with benefits only got the perk of sex, not everything else that came with an actual romantic relationship. Connor was a fool for thinking that would change just because they had become friends first. There was a split moment when Gavin had asked him if they were just having sex as friends where he almost wanted to explain that that's not what he wanted, but he didn't want to ruin what they had. With how much Gavin hated him in the beginning, it was shocking that they had even made it this far. To expect something more from him... it was greedy and selfish. But it didn't stop Connor from wanting more. Gavin draped over him like this felt so natural, like it should have always been like this.  
  
He knew it was selfish of him, but he didn't push Gavin away. Instead, he just gently carded his fingers through Gavin's hair with shaking fingers. Gavin mumbled something in his sleep, his lips turning up ever so slightly as he nuzzled into Connor's arm. Connor smiled, allowing himself to be selfish this one time, because he didn't know how many of these chances that he would get to take advantage of. He allowed himself to slip back into sleep mode, and this one was even deeper than the last.  
  
  
  
The next time Connor woke up, the bed next to him was empty. He blinked his eyes a few times and sat up, only to find Remy standing next to his side of the bed, wagging her tail. "Good morning, Remy." He greeted her. She wagged her tail even harder, and jumped up so that her two front paws were perched on the edge of the bed. He reached down and stroked her head. "Where's Gavin?" Remy licked his hand and jumped down, doing circles excitedly. Connor laughed at her and stood up. He noticed the room had been tidied up a bit, and even his own clothes had been neatly folded and put on the nightstand. He could smell the detergent on them. Gavin had washed them for him.  
  
"Remy, he's trying to sleep-" Gavin stared at him with wide eyes as he entered the room. "Oh. Hey, tin can. She didn't wake you did she?" He was still in just his underwear, and he looked well rested and had a cup of coffee in his hand. Seeing Gavin like that was so domestic that it made his chest feel tight.   
  
"No, she didn't. My internal clock woke me up. This is what time I would normally get up to walk Sumo and make Hank breakfast. Thank you. For washing my clothes I mean."  
  
"Uh, yeah, no problem. I figured you didn't want to go into work looking like... well, like you had just had sex." He smirked. "You know, it must be nice to live so close to the department. I've been up for an hour now, so that I could walk Remy and cook breakfast. I haven't even showered yet." He walked over to Connor, sitting his coffee cup down next to Connor's clothes. "When Markus sorts out things for you to be able to eat human food, I'll have to cook for you one morning. I promise I can cook beyond pasta. You should try my French toast."  
  
Connor smiled at him, a little sadly. Based on his wording... Gavin didn't seem like he intended for the night they had to be a one time thing. He tried not to think too hard about the fact that Gavin was also trying to feed himself beyond whatever instant meal he could come up with. It was nice to see him actually try to take care of himself. "I would like that." Connor admitted.  
  
Gavin just smiled back. He stretched, and Connor nearly rolled his eyes, because he was clearly putting on a show, flexing his muscles, and looking at Connor through his thick eyelashes seductively. Unfortunately, Connor fell for it and couldn't help but rake his eyes over Gavin's body. "I'm going to hop in the shower now." he turned and headed for the bathroom, pausing at the door. He turned around, raising an eyebrow at Connor. "You know you can, uh, join me, right? Uh, if we shower together, it saves water. Or whatever."  
  
An unexpected laugh was pulled from Connor's lips. "Yeah, We can... save water."  
  
Connor expected this part to feel awkward, especially after last night. But it didn't. It was yet another thing that felt natural. He felt his cheeks heat up as he slid off his boxers and Gavin shamelessly stared, licking his lips without even noticing. When the water was hot enough for his liking, he slid his own underwear off and opened the shower door fully, stepping inside. Connor followed after him, immediately relaxing under the spray of the shower. It reminded him of the first day he had felt the rainfall, how he couldn't even begin to describe new physical sensations if he wanted to... which only led him to thinking about the previous night. He was almost glad he had never asked Gavin to describe it. Not only would he not have been able to handle Gavin describing _sex_ of all things, but he was glad he had experienced it first hand, had experienced the gradual build of pleasure-  
  
Connor knew his face was bright blue at the realization that he was hard again. It wasn't the fact that he was as much as it was the fact that it took so little for it to happen in Gavin's presence Since becoming a deviant, he had had thoughts, impulses, that he sometimes had to deal with, and he would shamefully admit that sometimes dealing with it involved thinking about Gavin, but now it was different. He didn't just have to think about it. Gavin was in a world of his own, his eyes closed as he let the water run over him and wet his hair. And because Connor was a fool, he kissed him. Gavin startled at first, jumping slightly as his eyes shot open. Connor pulled back immediately, thinking maybe he had misunderstood Gavin's intentions and that it was only a one time thing, but then suddenly Gavin was wrapping his arms around Connor's neck. He pulled him close and pulled him back in for another kiss, standing on the tips of his toes, and the only thing that interrupted it was his lips breaking into a smile.  
  
He chuckled as his pulled back, a grin still on his face. "The perfect robo cop isn't afraid of being a little late, huh?"  
  
"I'm not sure either of us would last long enough to be late." Connor muttered, his lips pressed together in a lack of amusement.  
  
Laughing, Gavin replied "Ouuuch, tin can. Way to kill my ego, there. I didn't finish _that_ fast last night. Especially if you take into consideration how long I had been thinking about it-" He stopped himself, blushing as his eyes widened. "I mean- I uh- it's not that-"  
  
Connor tilted his head, smiling. "You've been thinking about us together?" His tone was gentle, not teasing or accusing, hoping to get more out of Gavin.  
  
"Listen..." Gavin sighed. "You're hot, okay? That's kind of hard not to notice. Shit, it was one of the first things I noticed about you, even way back in the interrogation room. Just forget I said anything." He turned his back to Connor, aggressively reaching for the shampoo and pouring some into his hand to work through his hair.  
  
Frowning slightly as his LED flashed red, Connor gently grabbed Gavin's shoulder, steering him slightly so that he was facing him. "Let me." He offered. Connor had never had to wash hair before. He was painstakingly designed to remain clean, even if he had to visit gruesome crime scenes. But he was also designed to know endless amounts of information, and it wasn't difficult to know exactly what he should do when he raised his hands to gently, but caringly, lather the shampoo in Gavin's hair. Gavin just stared up at him, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape, almost like he couldn't find the words to protest. His grey eyes searched Connor's face like he was looking for the answers of an unasked question, but he didn't stop him, and it made Connor smile. Gavin was rarely speechless. It was a nice change.  
  
When he was done, Connor gently tilted his head back to allow the spray of the shower to rinse his hair. It exposed his neck beautifully, and it took a lot of willpower to for Connor not to lean in and kiss it. When his hair ran clean and Connor let his head fall, Gavin was blushing and avoiding his eyes. Then, he surged forward and kissed Connor. He kissed him so hard that Connor was backed against the shower wall, knocking down bottles of body wash and shampoo on the way. Connor kissed him back, and suddenly he had a better understanding of Hank's problem with drinking. This was addicting. _Gavin_ was addicting. Gavin wasted no time in allowing his hands to wander Connor's body, but one suddenly stopped on Connor's chest. He splayed his finger there, his eyes looking down.  
  
"You... you have a heartbeat." He said quietly.  
  
"Technically, it would be a thirium pump beat." Connor replied wryly.  
  
"Shut the fuck up." Gavin said, his eyes still on Connor's chest.  
  
"Our thirium pumps are lower than the human heart." Connor took his wrist and gently guided it lower, right above his thirium pump. Gavin swallowed hard, his fingers spreading a little wider. Gavin finally looked back up, meeting Connor's eyes, and he kissed him again. And again. And again. Connor was so relieved that Makus' update had provided him with being able to toggle back and forth between using his tongue to analyze, and using it to taste. There was no pop up telling him everything he needed to know about Gavin's DNA, and instead, he could just focus on Gavin's taste. Gavin's hand began to slip lower, and Connor's thrium pump began pumping harder and faster as Gavin's fingers curled around his hard dick, his unneeded breath catching at the new pleasure. Connor felt Gavin's lips smirk against his own, and Connor was suddenly exhausted with how incredibly smug he was, his hand now pumping Connor to full hardness. Wanting to wipe the smug smirk off of his face, Connor reached for Gavin's own cock, but Gavin swatted his hand away.  
  
"I have a better idea." He said. He grabbed some body wash that hadn't toppled over, and squeezed some into his hand. "Another learning experience here, you gotta be careful with using shit like this as lube." He wrapped his hand around Connor again and Connor bit his lip, dropping his head to Gavin's shoulder. "There we go." Gavin muttered, his voice pleased. He then let go of Connor's length just long enough to wrap his hand around both of there cocks to pump them at the same time, and Connor moaned, his lips involuntarily kissing Gavin's shoulder.  
  
They were both late for work.  
  
  
  
  
  
Connor was trying very hard to be "normal" at work. Even though Julia had been identified as the killer, their work was hardly done. They still had to compile evidence so that they had a solid case against her once the arrest was done so that she wouldn't be another guilty person that slid through the cracks. But focusing on the case was twice as hard now, especially with how Gavin's presence was just their _looming_. It was so hard not to crawl across both their desks and kiss Gavin until he was breathless, and Connor was positive that that wasn't something that "friends with benefits" did. He was asking for too much. He wanted too much. He made the mental note to go home after work, and not let himself cave in and go back to Gavin's place where he could lose himself in Gavin's bed, lose himself in _Gavin_. It was getting harder and harder to keep his LED in check, not have it constantly changing colors and spinning out of control.  
  
Luckily, helping Gavin compile evidence was easy to do while distracted, and when Connor received a text from Hank, he was at least thankful for that distraction. **_ > Don't forget that I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon. I wouldn't even bother you if I could drive with this stupid fuckin boot. Might actually be able to get this shit off. :) < _** Connor suddenly felt immensely guilty. He _had_ forgotten. **_ < Don't worry, Hank. I'll be home tonight to take you to the appointment. I'm sure your fingers are crossed that the cast will be removed. It's a little early, but hopefully they'll be able to remove it. > _** Other than the occasional slip up, Hank had been staying off his feet and uses his crutches. It was likely that they would say he could return to work shortly as long as it was light duty.  
  
"Hank has a doctor's appointment this afternoon." He said aloud to Gavin.  
  
Gavin looked up from his phone. He had been texting more than he normally did at work. "Oh yeah? Psyched for things to go back to normal, huh?" There was a challenging note to his voice.  
  
Connor rolled his eyes. "I miss working with Hank. But I like the new normal we've created too. Things don't have to change once Hank returns to work."  
  
Gavin's feet were on his desk like they often were, but he allowed them to drop to the floor and straightened up in his chair to look at Connor, a light, flirtatious smile on his face. "So, you like what we've 'created'? Is that your fancy way of saying you want us to keep having sex?'  
  
"Gavin, we're at _work_." Connor hissed. "But yes. And not just that. Despite everything in the world telling me I shouldn't, I enjoy your company regardless of what we're doing."  
  
"Aren't you just a romantic." Gavin laughed. "Well, I don't want things to change between us either. Text me and let me know how his appointment goes." He gestured to his phone. "I'll be with Tina tonight but I can text."  
  
"I miss hanging out with Tina." Connor replied sincerely.  
  
"Yeah, me too. I usually see her more than this. She's been busy as shit lately. I think she's trying to join SWAT, so she's worker even harder. Detective was never really her thing. She says it's too much desk work." Gavin laughed. "I can't blame her. They're the ones searching for Julia right now, and we're both stuck behind a desk. Oh, before I forget, you still got that card Chloe gave you? I was gonna text Kamski and thank him and tell him to keep an eye out. Make sure he's keeping Chloe safe."  
  
Connor rummaged through his desk to find the card, even though he had already saved the contact information himself. He slid the card across Gavin's desk, and Gavin picked it up, typing the number into his phone and thumbing away at his screen as he composed a text message. "Thanks, tin can. So, Elijah and Chloe, huh? Are you okay after that? That shit was wild."   
  
"I'm okay." Connor sighed. "I don't agree with Elijah's choices in the least bit, but at least now I understand where he was coming from, what his thought process was. I thought originally that maybe he was one of those humans that just wanted to see how much chaos he could create. I believe there's more to him than that now." Connor received another message from Hank. **_ >Tell Reed I said eat shit. < _** Before Connor could respond, there was another text. **_ > I mean that in a good way not a mean way. < _** Connor laughed. "Uh, Hank told me to tell you to 'eat shit'... and that he means that in a good way?"   
  
Gavin tossed barked out a laugh. "What a dick. Tell him I would be flipping him off if he were here right now."   
  
Connor did, and then asked "Can I ask you something, Gavin?"   
  
"Sure." Gavin shrugged.   
  
"From what you, and Hank have both said, it seems that the two of you used to have a much better relationship. What happened?'   
  
Sighing sadly, Gavin swallowed hard. "It's a long story. You should probably just ask him."   
  
Connor tilted his head. "I have a feeling he would tell me to ask you."   
  
"I don't really wanna talk about it." Gavin said quietly. "Maybe some other time. I- I mean he- just know that a lot changed when Cole died, and our relationship was one of those things. But he didn't try to kill me at the relations event. So I guess that's progress. Thanks to you."   
  
The comment made Connor feel warm, and he smiled. "I didn't really do anything, I just assured him time and time again that you no longer wanted to kill me."   
  
"And I don't. Most of the time, at least. You know, you just _do_ that. You change people, without even meaning to. Like... you see the good in people even when they don't see it in themselves."   
  
"Everyone has the ability to be good, Gavin. Sometimes they just need to be reminded of that."   
  
Gavin smiled, leaning forward on his elbows on his desk. "Apparently, even me."   
  
Connor rolled his eyes. "I never thought you were _bad_ , so to speak. Sure, you hated androids, but many people did at the time. Even Hank. You just needed the opportunity to see that we're not all the same."   
  
"I made you get me a cup of coffee, and when you did, I punched you, man."   
  
"Because I let you."   
  
"Wh-what?" Gavin spluttered. "The fuck you mean? Let me?"   
  
Connor smirked. It was about time he fessed up to Gavin. "Gavin, you and I both know how things went down in the evidence room. You didn't stand a chance-"   
  
"Hey-!"   
  
"-And if I wanted to, I could have stopped you from punching me in the breakroom. But it was part of my mission to blend in with humans. If I would have stopped you, you would have felt like I was even more of a threat. I couldn't even feel pain at the time, and still cowered over like you had actually hurt me. Now that I think about it, you really didn't need that boost to your ego-"   
  
"You little shit! You faked the whole thing! And then Tina lectured me for like twenty minutes about being a dick!" Gavin sounded absolutely scandalized, and it made Connor grin.   
  
"It worked out in my favor though. Look at us now." He winked for good measure, a smirk spreading across his lips.   
  
"Be glad we're at work, dipshit. Because if not, I would kiss that stupid, smug look off your face."   
  
Connor couldn't deny the butterflies in his stomach, and he wondered if the thought of kissing Gavin would always make him feel that way. His LED swirled and he smiled as Gavin threw a pen at him, not even bothering to catch it.   
  
Gavin leaned back in his desk chair, an amused grin on his face. "I guess I can't really complain. I like the way things turned out."   
  
Connor smiled, a little sadly. He liked the way things had turned out too, he just wished he didn't want so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've cleared over 100k words, y'all. Whoops.
> 
> Okay, but can we talk about something right quick? Gavin gets SO much shit in the fandom's general audience. But Connor literally manipulated him in the breakroom scene. He could have had Gavin on his ass, broke his arm, blocked or dodged the punch, _anything_ but he literally let Gavin hit him and then pretended it hurt so he could come across as the little uwu innocent baby. Even with the whole evidence room thing... Gavin was only doing his job. He didn't trust Connor, and Connor _was_ tampering with evidence. Is canon Gavin a dick? Absolutely. But people demonize him a little _too_ much, especially when Hank will even get physical with Connor multiple times if you don't choose the right responses.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm behind on answering to comments (again), but I'll get to them!

The moment Gavin climbed into his car at the end of his shift, he closed the door and allowed his head to smack against the steering wheel with a thud. Not only had the DPD _still_ not managed to locate Julia, but Gavin had fucked up. He had the thought "I fucked up" at least once a day, but god, he had _really_ fucked up. Trying to act normal around Connor was excruciating, and apparently he was a sucker for pain, because instead of letting Connor leave after they had sex, he invited him to stay the night. No one (other than himself, and Remy occasionally) had ever slept in his bed. It's a line he didn't cross. It muddled things too much. And then his dumbass even tried to be a little _romantic_ , stroking his thumb over Connor's LED and asking him if he was okay. Gavin lifted his head up just to have it slam down against the steering wheel again. And the sex... it was different. Not just because it with someone new. Not just because he had been lusting after Connor for so long. Not just because it was really, _really_ good sex. It was because Gavin... just didn't have sex like that. He was always rough, always in control, and it was just fucking to get off. Nothing more. But it _had_ been more with Connor.

To make matters worse, Gavin had woken up the next morning feeling more rested than he had in years, _cuddling_ Connor. Gavin fucking Reed did not cuddle unless it was with his sweet pitbull. He just didn't do that. But he woke up completely wrapped around Connor, and his first instinct was to kiss him awake and tell him good morning, or wake him up with a blowjob, or make him breakfast in bed, or a million other inappropriate scenarios. He was so fucked. He couldn't even control himself long enough to stop himself from inviting Connor into the shower with him. Then, Connor had to make it so much worse by agreeing to join him and then kissing him. Gavin wasn't about to turn down sex, especially not with his favorite android, but he had wished it would have been just a normal, regular kiss. That it didn't _have_ to lead to sex without it being weird or awkward. That Connor would have just kissed him simply because he wanted to.

Gavin took a deep breath and sat up straight. He put his seatbelt on and started his car, pulling out of the parking lot to head to Tina's house. He had been having an internal freak out all day, and she knew it. He didn't know how she did, but Tina often read him perfectly. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that he had texted her first thing in the morning, and Gavin didn't even like being alive first thing in the morning, he certainly didn't want to speak to anyone. Maybe he was just more transparent than he thought, but Tina knew something was up, and even though they didn't have plans until later, he didn't think she would mind if he showed up early.  
  
As soon as his car was in park, Gavin was flinging up his car door before he even shut the engine off. God, he was such a fuck up. Sure, Connor wasn't being weird, but it was only a matter of time before Gavin messed everything up. He was so completely lost on Connor, and sure he could be naïve when it came to certain things, but Connor would catch on eventually. Gavin had never experienced this before, there was no way he could keep reeling it in forever. One day Connor would see that he was a fucking sap, and it would ruin everything the poor guy fought so hard to establish. Gavin didn't bother knocking on Tina's door, he never did. He knew he was always welcome. He made a beeline for the living room, ignoring the alarmed look on Tina's startled face, and dramatically flopped down on the couch on his stomach next to the recliner she was sitting in, burying his face in a throw pillow with a defeated whine.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here this early?" Tina asked. Gavin could hear the creak of the leather as she adjusted in the chair, pulling her feet into the chair to cross her legs. She didn't sound annoyed, but certainly sounded surprised.  
  
"I'm here early because I fucked up." Gavin groaned into the pillow. "I've completely ruined my life." He finally unburied his face to look at her, giving her his best and most pitiful pout. Maybe she would take mercy on him and just kill him.  
  
"Oh god." Tina squeaked. "Did you finally fuck up and kill someone? I can't help you bury a body! We're cops!"  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes and flipped over on his back. Tina's fluffy cat, Ziggy, was glaring at him from the floor, completely unimpressed with his theatrics. He tried to call Ziggy over, but he ignored Gavin and Gavin sighed. "I didn't kill anyone, dumbass. I just... I really fucked up this time, Tiina."  
  
"Hmm." Tina pondered, and Gavin really hated how knowing it sounded. "Well, lay it on me. What did you do?"  
  
Gavin scrubbed both hands over his face roughly and stared at the ceiling. "I fucked Connor." He muttered quietly.  
  
Tina was quiet for a moment. Gavin was fully expecting something snarky, something about how it was about time, or how she knew it. Instead she finally said "And why is that so life ruining?"  
  
Annoyance pumped through Gavin's veins as he abruptly sat up. Now that half the couch was free, Ziggy jumped up on the couch next to him, meowing loudly and demanding attention. Gavin picked him up and put him in his lap, running his fingers through the thick fur and finding it a little calming. "Why does that even need an explanation?" He mumbled.  
  
"Because you're acting like this is the end of the world. And it's not. So I don't understand why you're so upset."  
  
Refusing to meet her eyes, Gavin kept stroking Ziggy. "Because you're not supposed to fuck your coworkers." He lied. He was pretty sure Tina saw right through his bullshit, that she had a long time ago, but he didn't want to say it out loud. He had barely been able to admit that he had feelings for Connor to his own dog. How was he supposed to say it to another person?  
  
Tina was quiet again for another moment. Gavin felt like he must look like a scared, cornered animal because she was picking her words very carefully. "That never stopped you from sleeping with that one dude on SWAT. What was his name? Brett?"  
  
Gavin snorted. Brett had been fun. He "wasn't gay, just curious" and there had been no risk of him telling anyone else at the DPD that Gavin was gay. "That was different. Connor is my partner, I barely even see anyone on SWAT. I work with Connor directly, and I'm a fucking idiot that can't stop thinking with my dick, and now I can barely look him in the eye."  
  
"So, it's awkward now?" Tina huffed out a laugh. "As awkward as Connor can be, I didn't really expect that."  
  
Gavin finally looked up at her. She was wearing pajama pants with unicorns on them and a tanktop, and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun. It was adorable, and it made Gavin's chest tight. Tina was his best friend, why couldn't he just be honest with her? "It... actually it's not really awkward, to be honest. It's just... weird. It's _Connor_ , Tina. A few months ago I wanted him dead, and now I'm sticking my dick in him? What the fuck is my problem?"  
  
Tina smirked and bit her lip. "Was it any good? Because he's _hot_ -"  
  
"Tina!"  
  
"What? You can't expect me to not be curious."  
  
Gavin sighed, feeling his face heat up a little. "Um, well, yeah. It was really good."  
  
Tina smiled at him reassuringly. "Then what's the problem? The sex was good. Neither of you are making it awkward, despite being partners. I don't see the problem here. How did that even happen?"  
  
Gavin shrugged. "We sorta got in a fight. He really hates when people... baby him? I guess? But I didn't feel comfortable with him going home when Julia is on the loose, and he got mad, and we got in a fight and I... I kissed him."  
  
"You kissed him." Tina stated.  
  
"I kissed him." Gavin confirmed.  
  
Tina raised her eyebrows at him expectantly, and Gavin just looked back down at Ziggy, purring in his lap. "Gav... you like him." She said softly.  
  
Gavin's jaw flexed as he clenched it. "Don't be stupid. I don't like him." He lied.  
  
Groaning in frustration, Tina stood up only to come sit next to him. "You _do_. You've liked him for awhile now. I'm not an idiot, Gavin. I probably saw that you liked him before you did." Gavin avoided her eyes and swallowed past the lump in his throat. She grabbed his free hand and laced their fingers together, giving a tight squeeze. "It's okay, you know. Connor's a great guy, and I mean if the sex is good that's always a plus, and I'm sure when you tell him-"  
  
"Whoa, hold the fuck on." Gavin's eyes darted to Tina's face. "I'm not telling him shit."  
  
"But you do like him, right?"  
  
Gavin bit his lip. "Yeah..." His voice was quiet. At least she figured it out. At least he didn't have to tell her himself. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
Tina let her head fall to Gavin's shoulder affectionately. "Nothing's wrong with you, moron. Having feelings for someone isn't the end of the world. It's nice. For what it's worth... I'm glad it's him. I like Connor."  
  
"Me too." Gavin muttered bitterly with an unamused laugh. "What the fuck am I supposed to do? I've never been in this situation before. It..." He swallowed again, ignoring how his eyes were stinging. "It fucking sucks. I can't tell him because then things _will_ be awkward, and he wants to keep having sex with me-" Tina pulled a grossed out face, he could see it in his peripheral. "-and I mean, hell yeah, I wanna keep sleeping with him but this..."  
  
"Hurts." Tina finished for him.  
  
"Yeah." He mumbled, letting his cheek rest against Tina's head. He was never the type that normally got comfort out of physical touch, but touch was 100% Tina's love language, and he appreciated that she was trying to comfort him.  
  
"I think he likes you too."  
  
Gavin scoffed. "Yeah fucking right. I'm sure he's just head over heels for the dude that wouldn't stop pointing a gun in his face. What's to even like?"  
  
Tina sat up straight abruptly, letting go of his hand and smacking his arm. "Cut that shit out. You can be an absolute asshole, but I've known you for years, and it's because you put up this shitty wall. There's plenty to like about you when you let that wall come down."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Gavin said "Oh sure. I'm _great_. Anger management problems, daddy issues, no life outside of work and my dog, do you need me to keep going? I'm not exactly a catch, Tina. I'm more of a therapist's wet dream, and you're right, Connor is a great guy. He's too good for me. Even if... even if he wanted more than sex, I can't... I can't give it to him. I can't be that guy. I don't know how to be that guy."  
  
"Well, Connor obviously sees _something_ in you, or he would have never become friends with you. That's the thing about Connor I think, about him being newly deviant. He sees people differently. He acknowledges that their might be some bad, but he sees the potential in people. Just look at Hank. He's got this almost innocence about him-"  
  
"He wasn't so innocent when he was riding my-"  
  
"Ew! Stop deflecting!" She groaned, swatting at him again.  
  
Gavin grinned, glad he had managed to distract her. The conversation was exhausting, and they would both end up talking in circles. Tina would continue to think that Gavin deserved Connor, and Gavin would continue to _know_ that he didn't. "I know we had plans to go out for burgers tonight, but do you think we could just stay in instead?"  
  
Tina smiled back at him. It didn't quite meet her eyes, she was clearly upset that Gavin thought so little of himself, but she also knew when the conversation was over. "Of course. That just means I don't have to get dressed. I'll order a pizza. We can stream some cheesy movie, and I have a tub of ice cream in the freezer."  
  
Winking at her, Gavin responded "This is why you're my platonic soulmate." He knew it wouldn't take his mind off of Connor, but it was a start.  
  
  
  
Later that night, Gavin picked up his guitar the first time in a long time. He strummed a few cords with no real intention of playing a song. He just missed playing. He spaced out, regaining the feel of the guitar in his hands as his fingers danced over the strings, and before he knew it, he was fingering the chords to one of his mom's favorite songs. He bit his lip thinking back to one of his favorite memories. It was when he was in middle school and his dad was on another one of his business trips. Even before the abuse started, things were always so much better when his dad was away. There was none of the awkward tension of his mom running to greet him and smelling another women's perfume on his coat and pretending that she didn't. There was no arguing that stemmed from his mom suggesting that the three of them go away for the weekend and spent time together as a family. Even though his mother was sad when his dad went away, those were always some of his safest, and most normal childhood memories. But his favorite was the weekend when his dad was in Chicago, and his mom wasn't letting it bother her as much as she normally did. She had her phone hooked up to a Bluetooth speaker and was playing all her favorite songs. Gavin, being a typical pre-teen, was annoyed that he could hear her music over the videogame he was playing in the living room and stood up to turn the music off, but before he reached the speaker, his mom grabbed him, forcing him to dance with her. She always loved music so much, always had it playing in the background. She couldn't stand silence, and when Gavin looked up and saw the smile on her face, he danced with her even though he thought she was dorky and embarrassing as hell. Gavin ended up completely abandoning his game because when she was done making a fool of both of them, she dragged him into the kitchen to make homemade cookies. It was one of the last times Gavin ever saw her that happy, and he would give anything to see her smile one last time.  
  
Connor would have made her smile. She would have commented on how proper he was, and would tease Gavin about how he should curse less and be more of a gentlemen like him. She would probably make some goofy comment about how she wished Gavin would have had an LED growing up because it would have made things easier since he was so moody. She would have shown Connor absolutely embarrassing photos of Gavin as a toddler, and her face would light up, and she would laugh, causing her dark, curly hair to bounce with every giggle. She would talk about Gavin like he wasn't an absolute shitbag, and when Connor would agree with her, she would wait until he left to tell Gavin he had good taste and give him a knowing wink.  
  
Connor would have liked her too. She was the epitome of all the good things that Connor saw in people, or at least she was before things got really bad. That's how Gavin chose to remember her anyway, not the hollow shell of a woman that she slowly became as the years passed. Connor would have liked how she always acknowledged the bad in Gavin, but refused to believe that was all he was. He would have liked how how open and accepting she was. Gavin didn't even realize it because he was so focused on memories of his mother, and how her and Connor meeting would go, but he was strumming the cords to "Lovesong' by The Cure. It was one of her absolute favorites.  
  
Gavin startled when his phone rang. He held his guitar in one arm while he fished it out of his pocket, smiling at how his phone was lighting up with the name 'Tin Can'. "Hello?" He answered, pinning the phone between his ear and shoulder so that he could continue to very lightly strum.  
  
"Hello, Gavin. I know you said I could text you... but I figured calling was easier."  
  
"Isn't it just about the same effort for you since you can do all of it in your head?" Gavin asked with a snort.  
  
"I meant for you, not me." Connor replied, and Gavin could see the smug look in his mind perfectly, causing him to smile. "Are you.... playing guitar?"  
  
"Oh." Gavin's face reddened. He was so distracted by Connor calling that he hadn't even thought about the fact that Connor would be able to hear him. "Uh, yeah. I mean, I was before you called."  
  
"You don't have to stop." Connor's voice was soft, and it made Gavin blush harder. Stupid, adorable fucking android. "I would like to hear it."  
  
"Didn't you call for a reason, dipshit?' Gavin grumbled.  
  
"That can wait. I want to hear you play."  
  
"Do you really take me as the serenading type?"  
  
"I'm not asking you to sing. I just want to hear you play."  
  
Gavin sighed, fighting his blush from growing darker, and just played the chords to the chorus and then stopped. "That's all your getting."  
  
"You're really good." Connor commented. Gavin could hear the smile in his voice. "That's by The Cure."  
  
Gavin snorted "You know The Cure?"  
  
"Not really." Connor admitted with a small laugh. "But I was able to search for it easily enough."  
  
"That was one of my mom's favorite songs." Gavin muttered quietly, not sure why he was telling him. "I'm not really that good. It's a pretty simple song to learn. Did you call for a reason, or just to critique my guitar skills?"  
  
"I told you that I would inform you how Hank's appointment went. I got distracted for a bit, but then remembered and called you. The appointment went really well. He has to wear a small brace for extra support for a little while, but they were able to remove the boot. He can return to work too, as long as he doesn't over exert himself."  
  
"Oh." Gavin buried the sinking feeling in his stomach at the knowledge that Connor would no longer be his partner. "That's great, Connor. Tell the old man I said congratulations."  
  
"I will." Connor replied pleasantly. "Earlier, he made a comment about how he's going to have to finish your paperwork since the case will be transferred back to him."  
  
Gavin scoffed. "Jokes on him. I'm already done with all my paperwork." Gavin could feel the conversation dying and he chewed on his bottom lip, not wanting the conversation to end. "What are you doing right now?"  
  
"...talking to you?"  
  
An unexpected laugh was pulled from Gavin. "No, I know that. I'm trying to keep the conversation going, and you really suck at it." He sat his guitar on the ground leaning against the bed, and took his phone in his hand, allowing himself to sink back in the mattress, his feet still planted on the ground.  
  
"You like talking to me." Connor commented. The smugness was back his voice.  
  
"Yeah? So?" Gavin yawned. "Is that a crime?"  
  
Connor chuckled. "No. I like talking to you too. I've just never called someone to just... talk. Only to relay information."  
  
"Wow. I guess I'm getting a lot of your firsts, huh?" Gavin teased. Connor went quiet and Gavin grinned. "Are you blushing right now, Connor?"  
  
"I _will_ hang up on you."  
  
Gavin let his eyes fall closed, still grinning. "Aww c'mon. Don't be like that. I'm just teasing you. It's cute when you blush." He was really too tired and relaxed to care that he was openly flirting, and knowing that it was probably causing the shade of blue on Connor's cheeks to deepen was only an added bonus. His phone buzzed in his hand, and he glanced at it, surprised to see a very late reply from Elijah Kamski.  
  
**_ > Thank you for the heads up, Gavin. Chloe and I will take extra precautions until Julia is arrested. Are you free any this week? If you are, I would like for you to come over. There's something I would like to run by you. < _**  
  
That was... kind of weird. Was Kamski asking him to hangout? Why?  
  
"Are you still there?" Connor's voice suddenly asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm still here." Gavin replied. He knew his next question was stupid, that he just needed to stop, but he asked it anyway. "Do you wanna come over?"  
  
Connor was quiet long enough for Gavin to feel his face heat up in embarrassment before saying "I could. Hank is asleep right now and so is Sumo. It's a bit too early for me to go into sleep mode. I'm-"  
  
"Bored." Gavin finished for him with a laugh. "You should come over then. Besides, you sneaking out for me when your old man is asleep is kinda hot-"  
  
" _Gavin_ -"  
  
"I'll make it worth your time." Gavin muttered, keeping his voice low and seductive, licking his lips. He could feel himself growing half hard at the thought of all the things he could do to Connor.  
  
"...I'll be over in a few minutes."  
  
Gavin huffed out a laugh. "Atta boy. I'll see you in a bit, tin can." He hung up before Connor could reply hoisting himself up off the bed to quickly brush his teeth and spray himself with cologne. Remy had gotten up off the couch at the sound of him moving around, and was following him from room to room. He felt bad for her. He was spending less time at home, but she seemed to be adjusting well at his absence. He grabbed her a few dog treats and put them on his bed, patting the mattress, inviting her to jump up. She hesitated, suspicious that she was being told to jump on the bed, and then jumped up, keeping her distance for a moment, waiting for him to lecture her. "Nah, you've earned it." He said softly, ruffling her ears. "You've had to put up with me pining over Connor, and now he's coming over again... so you can sleep on the bed." She licked his hand and lied down, taking one of her treats in his mouth to chew on it. He gave her one last pat, and made his way into the living room, sprawling himself out on the couch. He flipped on his television just to have some background noise and guilted himself for feeling so... nervous. At least that's what he was trying to dismiss the fluttering in his stomach as. He didn't want to think about how it was always like that when he thought about Connor.  
  
He heard a knock at the door a few minutes later, and called out an antsy "It's unlocked!" without moving from the couch. Connor opened the door and came into the living room, and Gavin couldn't breathe. Just seeing him was like the air had been punched from his lungs. He had ditched his tie and jacket again, and it was obscenely sexy, just like it always was. "Hey." He muttered quietly, not moving from his position on the couch, practically drooling on himself. Connor just smiled and came over to the couch. Gavin scooted over just far enough to let him sit down, and then dropped his head in his lap once he did. Connor looked down at him, a soft, sweet smile curving his lips. Gavin grinned up at him happily. God, it was so good to see him, and he tried not to think about how pitiful that was when he had just seen him a few hours ago at work.  
  
Connor bit his lip nervously, and suddenly asked "What would we have talked about on the phone had I not come over?"  
  
Oh. Gavin hadn't expected that. "Uh, I don't know? I'm not exactly used to talking to people on the phone either. Chris just texts, and when Tina calls, she's usually doing all the talking." He licked his lips, looking up at Connor's warm brown eyes nervously. "I just like talking to you. I guess we would have played 20 questions or something." He added with a laugh. Connor raised an eyebrow him and he grinned again. "I'm guessing you've never done that either?"  
  
"I've never had the occasion to do a lot of the things you tease me for not doing."  
  
"Well, now you have the occasion. You're a free man and all." Gavin waved his hand dismissively. "So, let's play." Gavin was already regretting his decision. Partly because he felt like Connor was going to ask deep, intimate questions, but mostly because he was already drawing a blank on what to ask him himself. It was like never have I ever, the drinking game always seemed like a good idea until he realized he had done way too much shit. "Um... what's something else you've never done before? That you want to do?"  
  
Connor's LED swirled as he thought. "I've never been to the beach. It seems... pleasant. After my update, I was able to feel so many new sensations. I feel like it would be interesting to experience the beach. What about you?"  
  
Gavin knew there was a soft, sappy expression on his face and he really hoped Connor didn't notice. "That's not how you play, dumbass. You're supposed to ask a different question."  
  
"And I will." Connor smiled. "But it's only fair that we also answer the question we expect the other person to answer."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Gavin replied. "I've never been to the beach either. There were a couple of times that my mom tried to convince my dad to take us, but he was always too busy with work." He chewed on his bottom lip a little. "I'll have to take us one day. Seems kinda dumb that neither of us have ever been. We'll go."  
  
Connor's smile widened and Gavin was really glad he was lying down, because it made him weak in the knees. "What's your favorite color?"  
  
Gavin snorted out a laugh. So, maybe Connor's question's weren't all that deep. His eyes flickered to Connor's LED, pulsing a soft, content blue. "Blue." He said softly without thinking, causing himself to immediately blush, his cheeks hot.  
  
Connor raised his hand to cup Gavin's face, his thumb smoothing across his reddening cheeks delicately. "I think mine is red." He replied softly, causing Gavin to blush twice as hard. So fucked. Gavin was so very fucked. His heart was about to beat out of his chest. This was way too intimate, his head in Connor's lap holding his face like he was something precious. "What's your favorite thing to do?" Connor asked.  
  
Because Gavin apparently had no control over his own word vomit, he blurted out "Kiss you."  
  
Connor's eyebrows jumped in surprise and his LED swirled and flickered to yellow before changing back. "I think I can agree with that answer."  
  
Gavin didn't think, he just sat up abruptly, crawling in to Connor's lap so that he was straddling his thighs. He wrapped his fingers around Connor's head and pulled him in for a kiss that had his heart beating faster and his mind reeling. Despite answering without actually thinking about the question, his response hadn't been a lie. Kissing Connor was easily his favorite thing to do right now. Connor may be new to the whole thing, but he was a quick learner, and he kissed back with such passion and desperation that Gavin had no idea how he had managed to go so long without kissing him, how he had went so long denying himself of this. Gavin tried not to think about how this was quickly slipping past a crush into something _more_ , and how that absolutely scared the shit out of him.  
  
The first moan that slipped past Connor's lips went straight to Gavin's dick, and his hips involuntarily jerked forward, searching for friction. His fingers reached for the buttons of Connor's shirt, their lips never separating. When Connor's shirt was open, Gavin slipped his hands inside, his fingers trailing over every inch of warm, soft skin that they could reach. Gavin broke their lips apart long enough to pepper gentle kisses down Connor's neck and throat, stopping just under where his shirt collar sat when he had his tie on. Gavin smirked again the skin and slowly sucked it into his mouth, curious on whether or not androids could actually get hickies. Connor groaned, letting his head fall against the back of the couch to give him better access to the android's throat as his fingers ran through Gavin's hair for a moment just to trail down his back and pull him in closer, and it was the single hottest thing Gavin ever experienced. Connor reached for Gavin's tented sweatpants and Gavin bit down on his neck when Connor cupped his hard cock through the fabric. Connor flinched a little and Gavin laved his tongue over the spot soothingly, pulling back with a smirk. He looked down at Connor' throat as he continued to stroke him through his sweatpants, and Gavin ran his fingers over the spot proudly. Apparently, androids could get hickies, and the fucked up thought of _mine_ was the only coherent thought he had as Connor stroked him to full hardness. He finally met Connor's eyes and was amazed that his pupils were blown, that CyberLife had even taken that little detail about sex into consideration. He grinned and Connor brought their lips together again, desperate and sloppy, and with one swift, calculated movement, he grabbed Gavin and flipped them so that Gavin was flat on his back and Connor was pressed between his legs. Gavin could feel Connor's hard cock pressed against his own, the thin slacks and sweatpants barely doing anything to hide how turned on they both were.  
  
Gavin didn't really like bottoming. He had done it a few times in his life, and it hadn't been _bad_ , but he never found it as enjoyable. But with Connor's weight pressed against him, grinding against him and pinning him to the couch as his tongue explored Gavin's mouth, he couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of _want_. "There's condoms and lube in the drawer of the end table." He moaned breathily when Connor broke their kiss to suck hickies of his own all down Gavin's neck. He and Michael had fucked a lot, supplies were stashed everywhere. He tried not to blush at the fact that they were both still fully dressed and he was already delirious with need, that he was offering himself up like some cheap date already. But he felt like it would be different with Connor, everything always was. He pushed Connor's shirt off of his shoulders and worked his hands between them, reaching for Connor's belt. He made quick work of the belt and zipper, pulling out Connor's dick with a smug grin when it made the android shudder. Connor wasted no time sitting up and ripping Gavin's clothes off and tossing them to the floor along with his own button up. Gavin grabbed his face in his hands. "Condoms and lube." He reminded his with a small laugh.  
  
"Right." Connor replied, flushing blue slightly. He finally crawled off of Gavin, standing up to open up the drawer of the end table. Gavin shivered, immediately missing his weight and his warmth. Connor dropped his pants and boxers unceremoniously when he found it and fuck, he was _gorgeous_ with his miles of pale skin and perfectly hand crafted body. "Gavin, you're out of condoms." Connor huffed in annoyance, and Gavin laughed when he shot him an 'I'm so done with your unprepared ass' glance.  
  
For once that night. Gavin thought before he spoke, and yet he was still surprised by his words. "I'm uh, clean. I've always used protection, and still get tested every few months. And I know you're clean. Shit, you probably have anti virus software installed or something. So, if you just wanna..." He blushed, completely embarrassed. This was such an astronomically bad idea. This wasn't just about protection. It was about crossing a line of intimacy that he didn't cross. He and Michael had always used protection, despite only sleeping with each other and both being tested. It was too intimate, something he associated with a decision that couples would make together.  
  
"That's not how anti virus software works." Connor deadpanned, causing him to laugh again.  
  
"I know, I know. I'm just saying... I'm okay with it if you are. But only if you are."  
  
Connor's LED swirled and pulsed, the blue brightening and dimming a bit as he thought, observing Gavin carefully before reaching in the drawer and handing him the small bottle of astroglide. "Okay." He said softly.  
  
Gavin avoided Connor's eyes, opening and closing the bottle a few times just to hear the cap make a snapping sound. "I was, uh, thinking." Connor just raised his eyebrows expectantly, urging him to continue, and Gavin felt like a frustrated, blushing virgin. He grabbed Connor's hand with his free hand and pulled him on top of him, reveling in the warmth of his skin. "Don't make me ask for it, man." He said quietly, finally meeting Connor's eyes.  
  
"...Oh." Connor said, his LED flashing with realization. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm sure. It's just... it's been awhile. Go easy on me."  
  
Connor cupped Gavin's face, his thumb stroking across the stubble on his cheek. "Gavin, I would never do anything to hurt you."  
  
And there was those god damn butterflies again, doing cartwheels and backflips in Gavin's stomach. "I know." He muttered softly. The whole thing was so soft and romantic that it made Gavin ache. He was crossing so many lines, and had been since the first time he kissed Connor. But he wanted more. He wanted all of him, in every way, and he would cross those lines again and again and again, and he knew there was no point in trying to stop himself.  
  
The next kiss that Connor pressed against his lips was different. It was soft, almost _loving_ and Gavin whined, immediately turning it into a moan just to cover himself. Connor took the lube from him gently and deepened the kiss, working both of them back up after the discussion and chill of the air had caused them both the soften a bit. Gavin couldn't believe that he was the one feeling like a virgin, but Connor was more skilled than he could have imagined. He made quick, but delicate work of opening Gavin up, and when he had three fingers inside of him with little resistance, he immediately shifted his angle, curling his fingers and making Gavin arch against him with a moan. Who in the fuck at CyberLife told him what a prostate was? Jesus fucking Christ. Gavin was going to lose his mind. Connor smiled smugly against his lips.  
  
"You're always running your mouth." Connor muttered, pulling back just far enough to see Gavin's face as he did it again, his fingers skilled and perfect. Gavin squeezed his eyes shut and let his head fall back against the couch. If Connor kept it up, he was going to come just like this, on his fingers alone. "I think this is the longest you've ever been without having something smart to say." He kissed Gavin again, a gentle, innocent peck. "If I would have known this was all it would take to shut you up, I would have done it a long time ago."  
  
" _Fuck_." Gavin whined, unable to stop himself from grinding his ass down on those long, amazing fingers. Hearing Connor talk like this sounded absolutely filthy, and he felt like he was falling apart. "Quit teasing me, you asshole."  
  
Connor chuckled, slowly removing his fingers, and Gavin pried his eyes open, immediately missing the feeling of being full. He watched as Connor lubed up his hard cock and lined himself up before looking back up at Gavin's face for permission. Gavin just nodded desperately and groaned as Connor slowly pushed himself inside inch by inch.  
  
When Gavin felt Connor's hips flush against him, he wrapped his legs around him, urging him forward by his heels digging into him. "Move." He growled, already feeling so close to release that his body was shaking with it. He couldn't be this easy. There was no way he was this easy. Is this what feelings did to him? Made him a mushy, desperate pile of lust? Connor smiled at him, his LED going crazy as his leaned forward to kiss him again as he pulled back and then snapped his hips forward, and Gavin saw stars. He had never come untouched, but Connor's angle was perfect, and somehow he _knew_ that, and Gavin didn't even bother jerking himself off. Instead, he ran his fingers through Connor's hair, pulling him closer and kissing him back, losing himself in the sensation of it all. He screwed his eyes shut tightly as Connor thrusted in and out of him, and refused to acknowledge the fact that he was an idiot, and this wasn't just sex. It wasn't just sex the last time. It was never about sex. He was falling head over heels for Connor, and it was getting worse and worse with each kiss. He knew he was probably making some truly embarrassing noises every time the head of Connor's cock rubbed against his prostate, but he didn't care. All he knew, all he tasted, all he could feel was _Connor_.  
  
He pulled away from the kiss long enough to mumble "I'm close, Connor." only for Connor to kiss him again, smiling against his lips and quickening his pace, burying his cock deep inside of Gavin with every thrust.  
  
Connor came first, his hips jerking and stuttering with one last, deep snap forward, and Gavin almost immediately followed, splattered both their stomachs with his load as he arched up off the coach. Connor kissed him through it, giving a few last small thrusts until they both stopped coming. Gavin collapsed against the coach, boneless, a huge grin spreading across his lips as he looked up at Connor. He stroked Connor's cheek with his thumb and couldn't stop himself from laughing as Connor slowly pulled out of him. "Jesus fucking Christ, tin can. Who programmed you with all of that?"  
  
Connor rolled his eyes but rubbed his hand against Gavin's thighs as he finally unwrapped his legs and let them fall against the couch. "Gavin, I have unlimited access to anything online."  
  
Gavin laughed again. "Oh my _god_. Did you _Google_ how to fuck my brains out? That's cheating!"  
  
Connor winked at him, the little shit, and leaned forward to kiss him one last time. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Fuck, I'm _more_ than okay, moron. That was amazing. I still think I like topping better though. What about you?" Gavin scrunched up his nose at the tacky feeling of his come drying on his stomach, and the feeling of Connor's come leaking out of him.  
  
Connor shrugged. "I just like having sex with you. I think I understand why you made such a big deal about it now."  
  
Chuckling, Gavin sat up a little. "I need to shower. I'm fucking gross. You joining me?"  
  
"It's getting late. I should probably go home."  
  
Gavin swallowed, ignoring how that comment hurt. Fuck, who was he becoming? "Yeah, okay. I'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
"And Hank." Connor added brightly.  
  
"Please don't ruin my post orgasm bliss by mentioning him." Gavin rolled his eyes.  
  
Connor ran a hand through Gavin's hair once. He really wanted to ask him why his LED always went crazy after they had sex, but he assumed he was thinking about it too much, that it was the android's own version of his brain trying to come back online after a great lay. "Good night." He said softly.  
  
Gavin ignored how his eyes were stinging and he swallowed again. "Yeah. Night, Connor."  
  
Connor got dressed quickly, and as Gavin scrubbed himself clean in the shower, he tried not to think about how his brain was begging him to ask Connor to stay.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in the process of replying back to comments, but it's slow progres because I honestly don't have the words for how grateful I am to receive comments on this fic. The comments yall leave are always so thoughtful and encouraging, and I wish I was better at being able to thank you enough. I'll get to them all soon, I promise. Just please know that I'm not ignoring you, and that I do see the comments, and each and every single one makes my heart so full.  
> I've also been working on some "professional" writing. I keep my personal and my fandom life separate, but if you're interested in reading an article I wrote about Cyberpunk 2077, feel free to shoot me an email (it should be in my bio) and I'll drop the link!

Connor couldn't stop smiling on the way to work because Hank was thrilled to be going back, even more so when he found out that Gavin hadn't left him any leftover paperwork from the case. Connor knew Hank was going out of his mind with boredom and it was nice to see him so happy. He felt a little guilty that he hadn't been home a lot, but Gavin was keeping him well distracted. He hadn't wanted to leave Gavin's house the night before, but it would have been entirely inappropriate to stay.

He didn't regret starting this 'friends with benefits' relationship with Gavin, but he was quickly learning just how bad it was for him. It was quickly revealing an even softer side of Gavin that he could imagine, and it was addicting. It was almost like if Connor could ignore every red flag, that he could almost convince himself that Gavin returned his feelings and wanted more, much more than just sex. But Gavin had made it abundantly clear multiple times that he had no interest in relationships outside of sex, and Connor felt like he was just setting himself up by trying to convince himself otherwise. He would miss working with Gavin so closely, but it was for the best, and the timing was immaculate. He was getting too close, expecting too much. Every time he was near Gavin, he was overwhelmed by the need to just touch him, to kiss him, and it had nothing to do with sex. The last night they had spent together only made the urge worse. Gavin only became sweeter and softer with every moment they spent together-

"Are you even listening, Connor?" Hanks voice disrupted his thoughts.

Connor's LED flickered for a moment, caught in his distraction. "I'm sorry, Hank. I was thinking about something. What were you saying?"

Hank sighed and rolled his eyes. "I was asking if Reed sent over all his information on the case."

"He said he did, and if he failed to, I have it all saved in my database."

"And there's no word on finding Julia?" His voice was gruff, the same tone everyone at the DPD had whenever they brought her up. Everyone was starting to worry that the case may grow cold. Julia had covered her tracks perfectly.

"She's nowhere to be found, but I'm sure we'll get her." Connor knew that his voice wasn't very convincing, but he felt better assuring Hank nonetheless.

"Yeah, we'll get her." Hank slapped him on the shoulder good naturedly. "Especially with me back." He gave Connor a friendly wink, and Connor didn't need to run an analysis to see that Hank was worried about how distracted he had been lately.

The moment that Connor entered the DPD behind Hank, he was being pulled into the breakroom by Gavin. Gavin peered out the breakroom door at Hank, a panicked expression on his face as he watched Hank make his way to his old desk, and it made Connor laugh. **[[Gavin Reed. Nervous. Erratic. Tired. Pulse steady with little caffeine ingestion.]]** "Are you okay, Gavin?" Connor asked, quirking one of his eyebrows.

"No, I'm _not_ okay, dipshit." His voice was an urgent whisper, and he finally took his eyes off Hank to turn to Connor. "I just fucking realized we never talked about this. You haven't told Hank that you and I-? Have you? I'm not walking into a trap, right?"

Connor laughed and shook his head. "If there's one thing I've learned about you, it's how much you enjoy your privacy. No, I haven't told him."

"Jesus." Gavin visibly relaxed and scrubbed a nervous hand over his face. "Thank god. I'm pretty sure he would kill me. Uh, thanks. You know, for not telling anyone. You're right, I like keeping my private life...private."

"Is that all you need? I'm sure Hank is wondering where I am." Connor muttered, annoyed by the familiar pull he always felt when he was near Gavin.

Gavin deflated a little, avoiding Connor's eyes. "Uh, yeah. That was it. Good morning to you too, asshole."

Connor tilted his head and tented his eyebrows in concern. He hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. "I'm not intentionally being short. I've just been distracted this morning." Connor could physically see when Gavin put his guard back up, switching back to his cocky façade as he forced a cheeky, confident grin.

"Oh yeah? Last night was that good, huh?" He took a step forward, causing Connor to instinctually take a step back because they were _at work_ and Gavin was insufferable.  
  
"Gavin, we're at work. Anyone could walk in."  
  
"How unlucky for me..." His voice was low and seductive, and he took another step forward. "I see you're back to wearing your tie." He raised a hand, delicately hooking his finger underneath Connor's shirt collar and pulling it down just far enough to expose the hickey on Connor's neck. "I wonder why that is..."  
  
Connor swatted his hand away and readjusted his collar and tie, causing Gavin to grin at him. "You know exactly why." He replied dryly, his LED swirling. "We need to get to work."  
  
"You're no fun." Gavin pouted. He gestured over to the coffee maker. "I'll head to my desk in a bit. See you around, tin can." He gave Connor a wink and made his way over to his brewing coffee.  
  
Connor just rolled his eyes and exhaled deeply, not realizing he had been holding his breath. Gavin would be the death of him. Connor exited the breakroom and made his way over to his old desk, finding Hank catching up on emails and all the documentation on Julia's case.  
  
"Where the hell you been?" He asked, not looking up from where he was squinting at the screen.  
  
"I made a stop in the breakroom." Connor took his seat at the desk across from Hank's. It felt odd sitting there after all the time he spent across from Gavin, even though he had already moved all his belongings back to his original desk.  
  
"Oh, well, Tina was looking for you." Hank glanced up. "Here she is now."  
  
Tina had a mischievous grin on her face as she plopped down, using both their desks as a seat. "Do you two know what today is?" she asked the both of them.  
  
"October 7th." Connor responded immediately. Why was that date ringing a bell?  
  
"It's Gavin's birthday!" She exclaimed in an excited whisper.  
  
Connor immediately felt bad for forgetting that October 7th was Gavin's birthday. He had Gavin's entire file stored in his database, but the date just didn't click.  
  
"So, the asshole made it another year without getting killed on the force. I owe Fowler five bucks." Hank mumbled, his eyes already on his computer screen again.  
  
Tina sighed, and reached over to turn his monitor off. "Very funny, Hank. He always requests his birthday off so that he can mope around his house by himself, but I guess he forgot this year. I was gonna surprise him with a cake at the end of his shift and sing 'happy birthday' to him. You guys in?"  
  
"You ever think that maybe he requests off because he doesn't want people making a big deal about it?" Hank asked, his eyebrows raised.  
  
Tina waved him off. "It's not that, it's just that his birthdays have been kinda shit since him mom died, so he just tries to ignore it all together, and avoid people. As long as I've known him, he's never let me celebrate with him. He just wants to stay at home and pout about it. I even got him an icecream cake, they're his favorite."  
  
"I didn't get him a gift." Connor replied sadly. "I completely forgot it was his birthday." He frowned, his LED flickering to red for a moment.  
  
'"Aww it's okay, Con. I just got him a gift card to that bagel place he likes. I'm just trying to surprise him and remind him birthdays don't have to be that bad. It'll just mean something to him for youF to be there."  
  
Connor nodded, but still felt bad. He would have to look for something to get him for his birthday and bring it to his house after work.  
  
"Sure, whatever." Hank muttered, turning his monitor back on. "We'll be there, just don't expect me to sing."  
  
"Great!" Tina grinned from ear to ear, hopping up off their desks. "He get's off at 5 today. I'm just gonna surprise him at his desk with the cake. I'll see you guys there." She skipped away, vibrating with excitement, and it made Connor smile.  
  
"What should I get Gavin for his birthday?" Connor pondered aloud. He was still relatively new to gift giving, and he didn't want to cross any lines.  
  
Hank snickered. "How about a gift certificate to Eden Club? I'm sure he would just _love_ that."  
  
Connor frowned and tensed, his LED swirling. He and Gavin hadn't exactly discussed if they were sleeping together exclusively, but the thought of Gavin having sex with anyone else made his chest tight. **[[System stability ↓]]** "I was thinking something more practical, Hank." He replied quietly.  
  
"The fuck if I know. You two are the ones that are all buddy-buddy now. What does he like?"  
  
Connor licked his lips nervously, trying not to think back to Gavin saying that his favorite thing to do was to kiss him. "He likes the band The Cure."  
  
"There you go then. Get him something to do with that band." Hank glanced up at Connor, his eyes narrowing a little bit before looking back at his computer screen. Connor swallowed, feeling like he was starting to be a little too transparent around Hank.  
  
  
  


Tina wandered back over to Connor's desk just a few minutes before it was time for Gavin to clock out and announced that she needed his help in the breakroom. Hank waved him off, still struggling to catch up on the work he had missed during his time off. Connor followed Tina to the breakroom. She was all smiles, and it made Connor incredibly happy to see someone so excited to celebrate Gavin on his birthday. The longer he got to know Gavin, the more he was realizing what a caring, amazing person Gavin was, and Connor really wished more people saw that side of him. Tina went over to the freezer, pulling out an ice cream cake that said "happy birthday asshole" in neat, elegant cursive. She set the cake on the table and popped off the plastic cover, carefully placing two candles to indicate Gavin's age. It made Connor's smile falter. If what Tina had said was true, Gavin had been trying to ignore and avoid his own birthday for nearly two decades. Connor couldn't help but wonder if Gavin's life was as incredibly lonely as it seemed. Of course he had Tina and Chris, and now Connor, and even seemed to be repairing his past relationship with Hank, but other than that he was notoriously disliked at the DPD. It was all by his own doing, but it seemed like such a lonely life to live, especially since Gavin avoided romantic relationships like the plague. Not everyone needed romantic relationships to feel complete, and Connor understood that, but the more he knew about Gavin, the more he understood that Gavin pushed people away because of his own issues, not because he necessarily didn't want them around.

Tina noticed him staring at the candles as she lit them, and smiled. "I know right? 37. He's eventually going to have to stop calling Hank old, because he's obviously pushing it himself." She laughed. Once the candles were lit, she gave Connor one of her misbehaving grins. She grabbed a shopping bag from one of the cabinets in the breakroom and shoved it at him and he took it, his LED swirling while he looked at her in confusion. "This is the part where I need your help. In that bag, there are party hats and party horns. If _I_ try to get people to use them, they're going to kill me. But you? They'll let you get away with murder. Especially Hank and Gavin. Let's make our boys birthday special, okay? I want to take pictures and let that asshole know he's loved."

Connor grinned. "I think I can do that. Have you ever heard Gavin mention the band The Cure?" He asked, getting more self conscious of his gift as it grew closer to the time to pick it up from the post office. He had no idea how humans dealt with shopping prior to technological advances. Being able to order something and have it delivered somewhere by drone almost immediately was far too convenient.

"Uhhh...yeah. A few times. I've heard him listen to their music more than I've heard him talk about it. I was teasing him about listening to old ass music and he mentioned he grew up listening to them because his mom loved them so much. Why?"

"I wasn't sure what to get him for his birthday. When I was in his room, I noticed a few posters on his wall, and decided to get him a poster of The Cure. It involves his favorite song by them, and I'm starting to second guess-"

"Oh Con, he'll _love_ that. It's such a thoughtful gift. Gavin is a hard person to shop for because he's so private, and then make a big fuss about people _not_ making a big fuss about his birthday. That's why I just got him a gift card, and Chris just got him some rounds for his gun." She smiled at him encouragingly.

"I also got him a new leash for Remy because hers broke, but I felt like that was more of a gift for her." Connor could feel a slight blush spreading on his cheeks and immediately cooled his systems. It was one thing to blush around Gavin, it was something entirely different to blush around someone else _because_ of him. "Do you think that will be enough?"

Tina was looking at him softly, her dark brown eyes showing something that Connor didn't think an analysis would be able to reveal. "He'll love it." She replied softly. "I promise." She reached in the shopping bag and pulled out a purple party hat and matching horn. She put the party hat on, wincing slightly as the elastic band snapped under her chin, and shoved the horn in her mouth, picking up the cake. She winked playfully at Connor and led the way as Connor awkwardly pulled out a red party hat and put it on his head, making sure to find a red party horn to match. He knew that Hank and Chris were likely the only ones to agree to this, maybe Fowler if Tina caught him in a good mood, but when he saw the blue party hat, he immediately made a mental note to make sure that Gavin got that one because it was his favorite color. He smiled to himself at the thought of how Gavin's eyes had glanced at his then blue LED when he said it. He knew it was just a coincidence, but it hadn't been for Connor when he said red was his after Gavin had blushed bright red, his head in Connor's lap.

Gavin was already crouched over his computer, about to clock out when they got to his desk. Tina motioned Connor in front of her with her shoulder, and Connor gently grasped his arm, spinning him around. Gavin's soft grey eyes widened, an expletive on his lips, but before he could say something, Connor just smiled at him and whipped out the blue party hat, placing it on his head gingerly. Gavin looked at him in confusion, then glanced at Tina holding the cake, and his lip immediately jutted out in a dramatic pout.

"Oh fuck no, we are _not_ doing this-"

"Happy birthday, Gavin!" Chris came barreling out of nowhere, practically tackling Gavin in a bear hug before grabbing a hat of his own and shoving it on his head.

Hank begrudgingly made his way over, a grumpy frown on his face, but when Connor gave him his best, pleading expression, he sighed dramatically and took the hat and horn that Connor offered him.

Gavin glared back and forth between Tina and Connor. "Which one of you asshats planned this?"

"That was alllll me." Tina said happily, sitting the cake on his desk proudly.

Gavin looked back over at Connor, one of his eyebrows raised. "Happy birthday, Gavin." He said softly, sticking the party horn in his mouth and blowing on it so that it unfurled and bopped him on the tip of the nose. Gavin just blinked at him stupidly and scrunched up his nose, making Connor laugh. Tina already had her phone out and was taking pictures, and Connor estimated that a solid 87% of them would involve Gavin flipping her off.

After a loud and dramatic rendition of 'happy birthday' (Tina had glared daggers at the rest of the department until they joined in), she clapped her hands together and announced "And now you have to make a wish!"

Gavin shot her a dirty look. "Seriously? Am I five?"

Tina pursed her lips. "Your birthday is about your age, not your dick size in centimeters." Hank snorted. "Now make your wish and blow out your candles, you baby."

Gavin sighed and then leaned over his cake, staring at the small, dancing candle flames thoughtfully. His eyes darted to Connor for a moment before returning back to the candles. His eyes flickered shut and he blew them out while Chris, Connor, and Tina cheered while Hank softly clapped twice, rolling his eyes.  
  
They all chatted amongst each other, and even some other folks came over to wish Gavin a happy birthday and nab a piece of cake, even Fowler, though he pointedly refused the hat that Connor offered him. Gavin was leaning against his desk, stuffing cake in his mouth when Connor approached him. Connor took one of his fingers and swiped it through the icing, bringing it to his mouth and tasting it while Gavin gaped at him.

"Can you _not_ do that while we're in public?" Gavin hissed after a quick look around to make sure everyone was distracted. "You can't even _eat_ yet-" 

"I can still taste things." Connor said with a smirk. 

"I hate you." Gavin groaned. "God, do I hate you." 

Connor sided up next to him, leaning back against his desk as well. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" 

Shrugging, Gavin took another bite of cake. "Because it's not that big of a deal." 

"It is to me. I think the day of your birth should be celebrated. I got you a gift, but I'll have to get it once I leave work and bring it over to your house." 

"You didn't have to get me anything..." 

It was Connor's turn to shrug. "I wanted to." 

Gavin smirked. "Are you sure that's not just an excuse to come over tonight?" 

"Perhaps not all of your gift had to be ordered online..." Connor winked, and then immediately smiled at how it made Gavin blush. He liked how it made a few stray freckles on Gavin's face pop out more, and Connor really wished he could kiss him, right there in the middle of the department. 

****

****

Later that night, Connor spent some time with Sumo and Hank, and then took a taxi to the post office. He picked up Gavin's package and then went to a store to buy a birthday bag and packaging paper because he wanted to do things right. When he arrived at Gavin house, he heard Remy barking through the door before he even got there. He knocked, but heard Gavin call from the living room to let himself in, and when he opened the door, Remy was waiting on him. She was wearing Gavin's party hat from earlier, not a care in the world, as her tail wagged wildly. Connor greeted her and then made his way to the living room to find Gavin lounging on the couch, a lazy smile on his face. 

"Hey, tin can." 

"Hey, Gavin." Connor greeted. He was relieved to see a pizza box on the coffee table, confirming that Gavin had actually consumed something other than coffee and cake at some point. Connor plopped down on the couch next to him and handed him the bag. "Happy birthday." 

Gavin scoffed but smiled, taking the bag and unceremoniously ripping the paper out and throwing it on the floor, as Remy immediately ran over to it to rip it to shreds. Connor smiled. As much as Gavin tried to pretend his birthday wasn't a big deal, he was obviously excited about opening his gift. He pulled out the leash first, and immediately started laughing. "You just _had_ to get bright pink, didn't you? You know, you're lucky I love you-" A panicked look widened his eyes before he corrected himself. "-HER. You're lucky I love _her_ because I'm going to look like such a dork walking my dog with a bright pink leash..." 

"I'm sure your fragile masculinity will survive." Connor replied, unamused. 

Gavin shot him a feigned, annoyed look and reached back in the bag. The poster was rolled up, and Connor really hoped it had turned out as good as it looked online. Gavin unrolled the poster, and Connor was pleased to see it had turned out perfectly. It was an image of a mixtape, and the label of the mixtape had "Lovesong" by The Cure in what was made to look like someone's messy handwriting. Underneath the mixtape, in the same handwriting, was the chorus of the song. Gavin stared at it for a moment, and then swallowed hard. "You know..." He started, but then stopped to bite his lip. "You know that the lyrics make it seem like you're giving this to me because-" He stopped himself. "Never mind. I... Thanks, Connor." He smiled softly, even though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. 

**[[Nostalgic. Morose. Hiding something?]]** Connor's LED flickered to yellow nervously. "I-I hope you like it-" 

Gavin tossed the poster on the coffee table and kissed him. Connor smiled into the kiss, taking that as the only confirmation he needed. "Of course I like it, you absolute dumbass." Gavin muttered against his lips. Gavin pulled him closer by his tie, only to start unknotting it with his fingers. Connor crawled into his lap and cupped Gavin's face, deepening the kiss. It hadn't even been twenty four hours, and he felt like he had been starved of this, of the sensation of Gavin's stubble scraping against his skin, of the welcoming feeling of Gavin's lips pressed against his. Right as Gavin's tongue licked it's way into his mouth, they both heard a whine. Connor broke the kiss and they both looked over at Remy, who was staring at them with her head tilted and her tail wagging slowly. 

Gavin laughed. "Remy, you fucking cockblock." He said, gently throwing a throw pillow at her. She pounced on the pillow, chewing on it as her tail wagged harder. "Alright, we're taking this to the bedroom." He stood up, his hands sliding under Connor's thighs to support him so that he could carry him to his bedroom. Connor smiled at the persistent fluttering of butterflies in his stomach at how Gavin stumbled a little, unable to stop staring at Connor long enough to watch where he was going. He kicked the door shut behind them and gently placed Connor on the bed, giving him one last kiss before pulling back to take his shirt off. Their clothes came off quickly, but it felt like it took ages, like it took forever to finally feel the soft give of Gavin's flesh against his own, and Connor was completely losing himself in Gavin's lips, how they were both sweet but desperate, how Gavin was planting kiss after kiss on every inch of Connor that his lips could reach before always returning to his mouth. 

Connor didn't have any experience with love, but the moment he broke the kiss for a moment and opened his eyes to see Gavin looking down at him, smiling softly, Connor was pretty sure he was in love. It was a small, private smile that he only ever saw Gavin use on him, and it made Connor feel weak and overwhelmed. Connor thought about humans, and how they often tried to replace love with sex, or got the two confused. But he didn't think for even a second that that was what he was feeling, because the feeling started budding long before they started having sex, long before Gavin kissed him for the first time. "You alright, tin can?" Gavin muttered gently, his thumb smoothing over Connor's LED and his fingers carded through his hair. It wasn't until he said that, that Connor realized his LED was swirling and jumping between blue, yellow, and red rapidly. 

"Yeah." Connor replied quietly, his thirium pump working in overdrive at the realization of how much this human meant to him, and just how terrifying that felt. He leaned forward to kiss Gavin again, but Gavin pulled back, his thumb still stroking Connor's LED. 

"You sure? Because your LED is kinda like a cheat sheet here, and it's telling me otherwise." Gavin's voice was low and gentle. That. That was why Connor loved him. Gavin tried so hard to pretend like he didn't care about anything, but he did. Ever since there was that shift between them, he cared so much about making sure Connor was okay. He was far from perfect, but Connor was seeing him change everyday for the better, and Connor _loved_ the part of him that was finally surfacing, finally blossoming into who Gavin should have been all along. 

Connor placed one hand on Gavin's hip, and reached the other up to run his finger's through Gavin's hair. And there was no denying it, he was doing it _lovingly_ , and with the way that Gavin chewed his bottom lip nervously, Connor was convinced that no one had ever been so gentle or caring with him. "I'm sure." When Connor leaned forward again to kiss him, he didn't pull away but pressed down to kiss him back, and even though Connor could feel Gavin's erection pressing against him, there was no rush in the intention of Gavin's lips, and it made Connor's skin crawl. Connor knew that was the part where he flew too close to the sun and got burned, because it was little moments like this that would try and convince him that maybe Gavin felt the same way about him. There was no witty banter or lustful comments, no insistence to try and have sex as soon as possible. It felt like _more_ , and more was exactly what Connor wanted. 

He had to focus himself to have better control of his LED so that Gavin wouldn't worry as they slowly progressed things with the gentle thrust of of their hips and quiet moans against each other's lips. Android technology aside, Connor was committing every square inch of Gavin's body to memory using his lips and finger tips and he wondered how this couldn't feel different to Gavin, wondered how Gavin didn't somehow realize that this wasn't like his one night stands, or how things had been with Michael. Connor loved him. He loved him so much that it hurt, and he hated himself for it because it wasn't what Gavin wanted. 

When Gavin blindly reached for the drawer of his nightstand, he didn't stop him to remind him that they didn't need lube, because apparently it meant something to Gavin to do things the natural way. He did stop Gavin from reaching for a condom, because the night before he saw Gavin's hesitancy, and he knew what a massive leap of trust that had been for him. And he wanted Gavin to trust him. He could feel Gavin shaking slightly, and he wasn't sure if it was from arousal, or nerves, but Connor just kissed him until the shaking stopped, and gently moaned his name at the pressure of the first finger entering him. 

"God dammit." Gavin muttered, adding another finger. "You're... you're going to give me so much shit for this later, but you're fucking _beautiful_ like this." He placed another gentle kiss on Connor's lips, and Connor's chest ached. "I mean, fuck, you're always attractive, but this..." Connor smiled up at him and bit his lip to suppress another moan. Gavin was the least eloquent person in the world, and yet somehow his words still sounded like poetry. 

By the time Gavin was sliding into him, Connor was already close to coming, but staved it off because he didn't want the moment to end. He didn't try to urge Gavin to go harder or faster, he just kept kissing him and running his hands over the seemingly miles of soft skin. He loved how there was no 'tin can' or 'dipshit' in these moments, it was always Connor, always his full name repeated like prayer either against his lips or whispered into his ear. Despite trying not to, Connor came first with Gavin's hand fisted around his cock, jerking him off in rhythm to thrusting inside him, and Gavin followed moments later as Connor kissed him through it. Gavin, true to form, flopped on the bed, far too lazy to clean up immediately. But this time, he chewed on his bottom lip nervously for a second before rolling over to face Connor. He grabbed Connor by the hip and pulled him closer, ignoring their stickiness in favor of gently running his hand up and down Connor's back soothing while he propped himself up on elbow. He leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Connor's forehead, looking shy. Even though it was dark in Gavin's room, Connor could still see perfectly, and Gavin was blushing bright red as he went back to biting his lip. 

His hand continued its path up and down Connor's spine as a softly spoke. "This is the best birthday I think I've ever had." He smiled slightly, and Connor was having trouble believing just how sweet and cute it was. Connor knew he was looking a little lovestruck as Gavin added a soft "Thanks, Connor." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The exact poster mentioned in this chapter may be on Etsy, and The Cure may or may not be me projecting. Shhh, we don't have to talk about it.
> 
> That sex scene wasn't supposed to be so soft... I... don't know what happened. It got away from me.


End file.
